So Have You Read It?
by Majestic Flying Walrus
Summary: A series of excerpts written out of order. Itachi x OC
1. So Have You Read It?

So for anyone actually reading this, you should know that this is just an excerpt from a much larger story. You will have no idea whatsoever about what is happening... sorry!

I do not own Itachi, Kisame, the Akatsuki or anything in Naruto, just Asaya and Tsuta.

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><p>"So have you read it?" Spoke the voice of a man.<p>

"Your book? Yeah." A young woman replied, slightly startled. Quietly sitting with her legs dangling over the edge of the porch, she took a sip of tea.

He always surprised her with his visits. They were never the same time or place, never scheduled beforehand. Yet she was slowly becoming accustomed to the irregularity.

She glanced out at the fireflies, just beginning to dim down for the night, and inhaled deeply, the tender warmth flowed between her lungs. Nothing was more soothing than the air of midsummer nights. She paused momentarily and closed her eyes as she listened to the chirping crickets.

"Asaya," He impatiently reminded her of the conversation at hand.

"Yeah, yeah, Itachi, I know." She softly replied.

"And?"

"I liked it. But a better question; what are you doing here?"

He tossed two sealed scrolls on the floor beside her. "You have been asked by Leader to open them." She drew her legs under her as she turned around to look at him. The two cylindrical, green and red objects lay before her. Reaching out an inquisitive hand, she took hold of the two items bestowed upon her. They were from Kirigakure, but their contents and significance was unknown. "No, I have been told."

He didn't have the time or patience to dispute the matter with her, so he simply reverted to their previous topic. "When did you finish it?"

"The book again? Just this morning actually." She stood up with her teacup and newly acquired scrolls. Walking back to the kitchen, she motioned her head in a signal for him to follow. "It wasn't too long, so I actually finished reading one of your books on time!" Asaya playfully turned her head to smile at Itachi, but it quickly disappeared when she saw the look on his face. Her eyes reverted to the floor, slightly ashamed of her actions. "So where is the fish-man?"

She was referring to Kisame, of course. They didn't much care for each other. "Probably sleeping on your living room couch. Now Asaya, the book." Again, he prompted her.

"Does he have to do that? Every time you two are over all he ever does is eat my food and bum out on the couch." Entering the kitchen, she immediately went to the cupboard adjacent to the fridge and opened it to reveal an immeasurable hoard of tea. "What kind?"

Itachi sighed. Clearly, he wasn't getting anywhere. "Black"

"Cream and sugar?"

"Whatever you did last time."

Asaya discreetly smiled to herself. The last cup of tea she made for him included about two tablespoons of sweet cream, like always. Itachi knew, he just didn't want to admit it out loud.

Asaya exchanged the two scrolls for a kettle from nearby cabinet and took it to the sink where she placed it under the tap. While it was running, she lit the smallest burner on the stove, and then ran back to the sink to turn off the faucet before the water overflowed. Filled kettle in hand, she went back to the stove and placed it center on the burner. "It should be boiling in about five to ten minutes."

Itachi took off his cloak and draped it over the back of his chair, then sat perpendicular to her across the table. He gestured an arm, "Sit."

Asaya grabbed the seat across from him and sat down with a slight smile. "So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"The book."

"Right, so-"

The kitchen door slammed open, causing both parties to turn their heads. "What the hell?" Exclaimed the intruder.

Itachi instantly recognized the voice and what it meant. If he were the sort of man, he would have rolled his eyes.

Between the doorframes stood a boy of about fourteen years, his right arm extended to point down the hallway in a distressed motion. Clothed only in a baggy t-shirt and boxers, his hair, which was of an ear length dark brown color, looked like it had been hit with a nuclear bomb. "That thing can't have been here more than ten minutes and it's already snoring on the couch! And you," he raised his other hand to point at Itachi, "What the hell are you both back for?"

"Tsuta!" Asaya scolded, then muttered to herself, "Seems you found fish-man before I did…"

Tsuta didn't take his eyes off of Itachi. "You could at least give us a little warning before you stop by in the dead of night, huh? Send a messenger crow or something."

Before Itachi could reply, Asaya spoke "Tsuta, you know that they're welcome here any time, get over it."

"So! I live here more of the year then you do, I should be the one setting the standards!" It was true. Asaya only lived in the house during the summer, as part of a recurring border patrol duty. Tsuta, however, lived there almost all year round, and to be fair he was the one who would inherit the place one day. But there were bigger forces in place…

"It's not just my rules, you know that."

Tsuta was about to retaliate but held his tongue. He knew better, they'd had this argument many times. He lowered his arms and huffed, "Fine, but just because the big kahuna in the municipality of mud says so, doesn't mean I gotta be happy about it."

"Don't call your grandfather that!" Asaya scolded again. "It's ten-thirty at night; I'm not in the mood for one of your rants."

"Ten-thirty isn't that late, you're usually up till two anyway. And you have to get up again at five to patrol."

Asaya raised a hand to her forehead and sighed; though half her current company was extremely welcome, she felt as though the other could use a slap in the face.

"Asaya, the kettle," Itachi finally spoke. He had been the only one to hear the beginnings of what would soon be an obnoxious whistle.

Asaya twisted her head to look at him. "Huh? Oh, right…"

"You making tea? Can I have some?" Tsuta grabbed an open chair next to Asaya and sat down. He folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "What do you have new?"

"Nothing," Unusual, since Asaya frequently bought ant tried new brands and styles of the beverage. "Most of the tins in the cupboard are empty." Sadly, Asaya was the kind of person who kept the empty tins, thinking she would later use them for some sort of recycled function, like storing spare change or miscellaneous beauty supplies. A few of the nicer ones were used in such a manor, and were displayed on her vanity; however, despite all her good intentions, she never collected the necessary amount of change or had much in the way of make-up, so most tins were discarded sometime later.

The kettle erupted into a full whistle. Everyone in the room visibly winced as Asaya jumped up from her chair and over to the stove, where she seized the kettle and turned off the burner. As the harsh whistle simmered down, Asaya readied three teacups from another nearby shelf, and paused to again ask "What kind does everyone want?"

Tsuta leaned back in his chair and rested his arms behind his head. "Mmmm… Green tea, and can you decaffeinate it for me? And no honey either, I'm gonna go back to bed soon."

"Sure thing." Asaya turned her head to look behind her, "Itachi? You wanted black tea right?"

"Yes, and plain." Itachi had changed his mind.

Asaya quietly mused to herself. Both of them knew he hated the bitter taste of plain black tea, which was why he drank it with a good addition of sweet cream. However, with the new addition to their company, Itachi felt he would do without any sweetener in an effort to appear more masculine. He wouldn't give Tsuta the chance to ridicule him. After all, men were men.

"So, you never answered my question. What are you doing back this time?" Tsuta asked Itachi. Although as far as Itachi was concerned, pestered was a much more fitting adjective.

"He dropped off two sealed scrolls for me to open, nothing special." Asaya interjected again, pointing to the evidence she left on the kitchen counter. She tried very hard to minimize any and all direct contact between Tsuta and Itachi. Tsuta hated Itachi. And after all the Akatsuki had put him and Asaya through, it was more than understandable. For the boy to put up with the unexpected visits and arrangements the way he did took a maturity well beyond his years. But Tsuta was still a teenager, and therefore he couldn't help but try and start conflicts.

"Ya know, I think he's a big boy and can answer for himself. Isn't that right, Itachi?" Tsuta persisted.

Asaya stared pensively at the three cups of tea she had finished pouring; they were entering dangerous territory…

Itachi looked directly into the boy's gaze, meeting his challenge. Sharangan triggered to display his strength, he sat slightly reclined with sloped shoulders to show he wasn't threatened. Personally, Itachi felt no true hatred towards the boy. To him the child was just another of Akatsuki's many victims. But minor hostility and a great distaste were something different. The boy had a talent for pinching his nerves: the way he sat cocked back in his chair, the raised eyebrow, and the smug smile twitching on the edge of his lips. Daring _Yeah, I'm taunting you, what are you going to do about it?_ And on one or two occasions it had invoked a great conflict, much to Asaya's fear. Yet as she had stated earlier, it was getting late and he was not in the mood to discipline the boy.

"Asaya is correct. Kisame and I are here to have the two scrolls unsealed. We should be gone by morning, provided they do not need to be deciphered."

The dynamics surrounding the relationship between Itachi and Tsuta had undergone change. Where Tsuta had at one time need fear for his life, events had since conspired to prevent Itachi from actually killing the teenager. A fact that Tsuta loved nothing more than to exploit. Yet that didn't mean Itachi couldn't assault the brat. Bodily harm and death were different, a saving grace used in severe cases. As long as Itachi wasn't further aggravated, there wouldn't be a problem.

"Fair enough, just as long as I don't have to deal with Homo-Selachimorpha on the couch and it doesn't eat all the food I'll be good."

Asaya breathed a sigh of relief. Tsuta had chosen not to carry on with his challenge. She walked back to the table with all three cups of tea, passed them out, and sat on the edge of the table between Itachi and Tsuta. "Those scrolls shouldn't need deciphering, unless you want me to tell you how they were cataloged into Kiri's record system. The seals are going to be a bitch to open, but they aren't any form of elevated importance. I'm assuming they're mission statements from a year or two ago. Who commissioned you retrieve them?"

"The Daimyo of Shimo, to my knowledge. They probably detail missions that occurred internationally, and presumably with controversial information, but I was only given orders to retrieve and bring them to you. If you want to know their contents you can look for yourself." Itachi took a sip of his tea, trying very hard not to show any repulsion to the acidic drink.

"Typical…" Asaya leaned her elbow on the table, cradling her face in her hand. Every nation had something against the others. She took a sip of tea. She was drinking black tea as well, mostly for the higher caffeine content she would need to keep her awake all night. Although unlike Itachi, she loved the thick taste of it plain, the darker the better.

Tsuta yawned. "Well whatever, I'm going back to bed." He sat up from his chair and pushed it back in, then grabbed his cup and walked out the door saying, "Goodnight. Hopefully this house's population will have decreased by fifty percent by the time I wake up!"

"Night Tsuta!" Asaya called after him.

Itachi remained silent, but couldn't deny his relief. Tsuta had kept him from his desire for too long…

"Asaya, come here." Itachi demanded.

"Why? I'm already sitting right next to you." Her eyebrow arched, questioning his motives. She had an idea of what he really wanted.

"Just do it"

She obeyed and stood up from her chair to stand next to him. "And?"

He held out his teacup to her, "Fix it."

"Oh, bullshit!" Asaya narrowed her eyes at him, only half serious. Even so, she took the cup back over to the refrigerator to add some cream, rolling her eyes as she went. Itachi rested a hand on the table as he watched her fuss. No matter how much she protested she would always do as he asked. It was one of her amusing traits and he would often find ways to manipulate her just to watch.

As she opened and poured the small container of cream, Itachi thought he heard minor obscenities depart through her mouth, predominately the word 'jackass,' but he couldn't hear clearly enough to tell. Returning to him from her little assignment, she stiffly held out the cup to him. "Here."

Itachi turned his body to face her. Looking her in the eyes, he took the cup from her small hand and brought it to his lips to drink. Asaya had only put in half the amount of cream she usually did, but it was potable. "Acceptable."

Shrugging, Asaya made to sit back down, but a stray hand around her wrist stopped her. Itachi pulled her down into his lap, where she straddled him. "I don't appreciate your sense of humor." Asaya smiled and draped her arms around his shoulders. She knew that this was what he wanted. They both did. "So?"

Itachi encircled an arm around the small of her back, pressing her into him. He nestled his face into her neck where he kissed her collar bone. "So you are going to make it up to me"

"And how is that?" Asaya rested her chin on the top of his head, softly sighing in the comfort of his arms.

"The book."

"You're really persistent about this one, aren't you?" Asaya tried to lean away, but Itachi moved his hand up her back, effectively keeping her in place. "And you are persistent about withholding your answer." He began to suckle on her neck, for which he was rewarded with a small moan. Oh, to hear her again…

Asaya had missed him, more than she could ever say, but she could never tell him. He wouldn't want to hear anyway…

The hand that had been resting on the kitchen table moved to grasp around her upper thigh. Moving his lips up her neck, Itachi met hers in a series of needy kisses. She moaned a little louder into his mouth, and arched her back into him, trying so hard to get closer. The hand that had held her firmly to him pulled down a strap of her tank top, leaving it to rest around her abdomen, and she hastily helped pull down the second one. The same hand snuck around to fiddle with the clasp of her bra, which was no struggle to unhook. Once undone, he eagerly removed the inhibiting piece of clothing, and discarded it on the floor beside them. Her breasts were finally free from confinement and exposed to him. A thought Itachi easily entertained. Lacing her fingers into his hair, Asaya removed his ex-leaf hitai-ate, dropping it on the floor with a minute clang.

Their breathing had become more fervent almost immediately, their kisses more demanding. Asaya felt a slight sting on her left hip. Itachi's hand, which had been grasping her thigh, maneuvered around her shorts and was now hooked under the panty line over her hip, his nails lightly digging into her flesh. His other hand, however, finally claimed his prize as it groped and kneaded her soft breast. The feel of her supple skin in his hands was ecstasy, and after he had been craving her for so long…

Asaya was about to reach for Itachi's belt when a loud groan echoed from down the hall. They pulled away from each other. "It's Kisame, get dressed quickly." Itachi hadn't need tell her, she had already pulled up her tank top. Standing up from his lap, she straightened out her clothing. "Where is my…? Oh…"

Itachi held out her bra, as he had already retied his hitai-ate. "Hide it, quickly."

Asaya hastily grabbed it from him. Now where to hide it? Quickly scanning the room, she found that there weren't many good choices, but there was one… She scrambled over to the countertop. Opening a lower cabinet- the one she retrieved the kettle from- she threw the article of clothing in, slammed the door shut, then turned back to face Itachi. Though he had no true expression on his face, he arched an eyebrow at her.

Kisame rounded the doorframe with a loud yawn. Looking at the table, he saw Itachi sitting with two cups of tea before of him. Two? His eyes shot around the room. Asaya was leaning on the counter next to the fridge, the two scrolls behind her. The Shark's drowsy frame of mind took a minute to comprehend the situation. "So you've already explained our little mission. Good." He spoke to Itachi, but his eyes remained fixed on Asaya.

Itachi didn't answer, and instead kept his gaze firmly positioned on Kisame, jaw clenched

Asaya stood ridged, her hands grasped firmly over the edge of the countertop. Her stare was transfixed on an adjacent spot on the floor, refusing to look up.

"Ah, well… what is there to eat in this place?" Switching his concentration back to food, Kisame made his way over to the fridge. It had been a few days since he had last had any substantial meal, as he and Itachi had needed to travel from Kirigakure in as little time as possible. Grabbing the handle, he looked again at Asaya. He noticed her breathing was slow and shallow, a sign that she was afraid. Her hands gripped the counter with such force her tendons could be seen swelling through the white of her skin. Kisame smirked; the power he seemed to have over this woman was engrossing. His six-foot three body towered above her tiny stature, gills visibly squirming as he reveled in the satisfaction of his influence on the young woman.

Itachi's teeth began to grind as he saw the inner workings of Kisame's mind reflect in his eyes.

"Kisame, we will be departing by morning, so eat now and rest. We have no time to waist on fatigue tomorrow" Itachi's voice was a half step lower then he meant it to be.

"I see." Refocusing on the fridge again, Kisame examined its contents. To his surprise and displeasure, there were scarce contents. A stray cabbage here, a half gallon of milk there. Upon further inspection though, there was a small helping of raw ground beef in a top drawer. With a small huff, he took it and turned to go back the way he came, leaving the fridge door open.

After his footsteps could no longer be heard down the hall, Asaya let out a heavy breath of relief. Itachi noticed that after she released her hands from their death grip on the counter, her body began visibly shuddering. "I had been hoping… to avoid…" Grey eyes shifted erratically between floorboards, heart beating out of her chest. Her trembling hands slowly stroked each other, but she couldn't feel them, or any part of her body. That man, the way he haunted her, always there in the back of her mind. The way he looked at her with his yellow eyes. The way she always felt naked in his presence. The way he made her feel so dirty, so soiled and ruined. Her skin crawled and her body ached as she remembered… She shouldn't have made tea for her and Itachi. She should have taken the scrolls and gone straight to work on them. She should have…

"It is getting late, Asaya." Itachi finally broke the silence. He was looking at the doorway Kisame had entered and exited from. "If you plan on finishing those by morning, which I'm hoping you are, you should get started soon." He couldn't bring himself to look at her as he said the words.

Standing up from his chair, he grabbed both of their teacups and made his way over to close the fridge door, then to the sink and stood next to Asaya. "Here," he held out her cup to her. "You'll need this."

Asaya carefully took it in both hands, and held it very close to her chest. The warmth from the cup dispersed into her cold hands, easing the ache. "Thank you." She muttered softly.

There was a splash in the sink as Itachi dumped his tea. Turning on the faucet, he rinsed out the cup and set it on the drying rack. "Be sure to get some sleep. I'll see you again at five." Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi tried to catch a glimpse of Asaya's face, but she was fixated on her drink, lending him only to look at her profile, which was mostly obscured by her hair. A small breath was exhaled from between his lips as he turned around and walked out the door, disappearing down the hall.

"Good night…" Asaya diminutively called to him, but he didn't hear. Or just didn't answer.

So that was it? That was his way of consoling her? She knew he wasn't the man who could ease a crying woman. His history and vocation kept him from ever showing her compassion. And she understood him well enough to know that. But just this once couldn't he have held her? In a loud crash the teacup slipped from her quivering hands and shattered on the floor. He could have said something, anything! It wasn't like anyone was watching. Hands grabbed her temples and she slowly sunk to the floor. Leaning back against the cabinet door, she brought her knees to her chest. Did he care about how she felt, having just been faced with that nightmare? Her breath was heavy and unstable as tears began to well in her eyes.

Asaya's mind raced faster than she could comprehend. Images of what had happened, what could have, and what she should have done flooded her mind. She had been too weak. "I should have known… I should have…" Her tears now spilled over and poured down her cheeks, the salty liquid stinging her nose and lips. A throb pulsed through her heart and lungs. She wanted to scream, loud enough to burst her own ears, but was unable to make a sound. The only thing she could hear was her own strained and gasping breath.

"Hay, is everything ok? Oh…" Tsuta stood at the doorway. He had heard the crash from his room, located just above and to the right of the kitchen. Having grown up around ninjas, he decided that, contrary to popular belief, the bumps heard in the night were well worth investigating, though usually there was no immediate danger. At worst he thought he would encounter an over-evolved shark, but this…

Crying, Asaya leaned against a cabinet next to the fridge, broken pieces of porcelain scattered around her trembling figure. She sat with her hands tangled in her hair, legs to her chest and toes curled in, her face was buried in her knees. In a heartbeat he realized what had happened. He rushed over to her, where he knelt down beside her and reached to pull one of her hands away from hiding her face. "What happened? What did he do!" Tsuta knew better than to yell, and instead spoke in a harsh whisper.

After a few strangled breaths, Asaya replied, "No-nothing… it's no-" She tried to pull her hand back.

"That's not true. Tell me, please… " Tsuta wouldn't let go.

"I swear… I-it's nothing!" She gave up struggling and Tsuta successfully pulled her hand from hiding her face. Her head lurched back from between her knees and Tsuta could now see her swollen eyes.

"Asaya, please…"

Her breathing slowed and deepened, but still remained shaky and broken. She was calming down. "H-he was just there and… I… I couldn't…" She whispered between breaths.

Tsuta relaxed his muscles. He believed her. But he should never have left her alone with Itachi, knowing Kisame was in the house. Maybe the Akatsuki hadn't done anything this time, but that didn't mean they wouldn't ever again. "Then what's got you crying, huh? You're ok, everything's ok, I promise." He softly cooed to her. Reaching his arms out, she leaned into him as he held her.

"He didn't do anything… He did nothing…" Asaya whispered again, eyes unable to focus.

Tsuta stroked the back of her head gently. "I know, I know…"

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><p>From a ways down the hall, Itachi had heard everything. He stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall. After he had left Asaya in the kitchen, he had stayed just around the corner, keeping his ears open to hear her. What was he supposed to do? Let her cry in his arms? She knew better than to expect that from him.<p>

Itachi let in a deep breath. She was a stronger woman than that. She was a more than talented kunoichi, capable of putting up a decent fight to anyone. He had personally witnessed her bold personality stand up to himself and the other Akatsuki. She knew better than to let that incident destroy her, he made sure of it. But then why now weep? Exhaling, Itachi understood exactly why she was crying. Even though one had overcome trauma, it didn't necessarily mean they would never be troubled by it. He knew that, more than he would like to admit.

It was fortunate that Tsuta came down when he did. If he had heard her for a moment longer… No, because he, as Asaya had just said, 'did nothing.' He had made the agreement with himself that he would always have to do so. But then why did his hand want so much to reach back for her…

_Never mind_, Itachi told himself, throwing the shameful thought aside. Pushing himself off the wall, he made his way up the stairs. He would need a full night's rest. The long travel from Kirigakure had taken its toll on him. Besides, he would need to wake up early.

* * *

><p>After a few moments more, Asaya had stopped. She wiped her eyes clean. "You better now?" Tsuta asked.<p>

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked around her at the broken pieces of what was once a teacup. The tea that it had once held was mixed with the debris in puddle on the floor. "I guess I should clean this up, huh?"

"Here, let me help." Tsuta reached out a hand to try and pick up a shard.

"Don't, you'll cut yourself. Just get a towel so I can wipe it up." Asaya bid him. Normally, she would have let him help her, but she couldn't handle another disaster happening tonight.

Tsuta did as she asked and stood up to get a towel from the countertop. There was one draped on the handle of the oven. As he walked over to retrieve it, Asaya began collecting the pieces of porcelain into a small pile. "I thought you said you were going to bed" She said with a small sniffle. "You'll need your sleep or you can't get any work done tomorrow."

Seizing the towel from the stove, Tsuta realized that Asaya was trying to focus on anything other than herself. "Yeah, well it's not like I have a deadline to get it done. I'm here all the time, you know." They were referring to the renovating and cleaning that needed to be done in the house.

The place had been a long time hide out and post for Iwa's ninja. Located on the base of the mountains bordering the lands of Earth and Grass, it was hidden just within the boundary of a dense forest and far away from any sort of civilization, making it a prime location for the Akatsuki to contact Asaya, which was why she was stationed there for her 'border patrol' duty. Although practical, Asaya and Tsuta were the only ones to have used it since the war with Konoha, so the interior looked a little more than neglected.

Returning to her, Tsuta held out the newly acquired towel."Thanks," Asaya took it from him, and made to dry the wet floor. After all the spilt tea had been soaked up, she placed all the shards of teacup in the towel and stood up. Silently, Tsuta watched her walk over to the trash can and throw everything in, including the towel. Oh well, it was more of a rag anyway.

Closing the lid, Asaya spoke "I guess I should get to work on those scrolls shouldn't I?" She strode over to the counter where she two scrolls sat, unaffected by the recent happenings. It would be a good idea to take Itachi's advice. "Goodnight." She picked them up and departed through the door, turning in the direction of the study.

"Goodnight" Tsuta called back to her. _Yeah, a goodnight indeed._

* * *

><p>It was a little after four in the morning when Asaya finished unsealing the scrolls. Had she not been so tired when she started, they would have been opened much sooner.<p>

Leaning back from the desk, Asaya let her arms hang loosely at her side. The study was a small room, located on the east half of the building, directly underneath her room. In fact, there was a hidden door behind her that led to an enclosure with a ladder that she commonly used to travel between her room and the study. Though the true virtue of the room was the one large window through which she had a wonderful view of the sunrise, should she ever be there at the right time. It was about an hour or so too early, unfortunately.

Standing up, Asaya stretched out her arms and back. Sitting in one position for too long never felt good, no matter how comfy the cushion. A gentle breeze flowed through the open window, giving a refreshing chill to the back of her neck, while she closed her eyes to listen to the leaves sway in the wind. Would it matter if she went back to bed? She had to patrol again at five, so at most she would get a half hour nap. She'd even patrol now if it wasn't so dark out.

A sudden yawn erupted from her lips. Her eyes felt small and stiff. Maybe a small nap wouldn't be so bad. Turing towards the hidden door, she pushed her hand into the wall and it clicked open. Placing her hands and feet securely on the ladder, she climbed. It wasn't a long distance before she reached the top and pushed the floorboard out of place. Heaving herself halfway up, she noticed an intruder in the room. Peacefully sleeping on her futon was a black haired man, roughly 178 centimeters tall.

Ugh. Though he was welcome to sleep there, Asaya was not in the mood to deal with him right now. She slid the floorboard back into place as she climbed back down and made for the front door. Right now was a perfectly good time to do her patrol.

Slipping on her shoes, she opened the front door with a loud screech. The frame that held the door was old and corroded. She and Tsuta would have to fix it when they got the chance. The door closed behind her, again with a loud screech.

Facing towards the trees, Asaya set out for her morning patrol.

* * *

><p>Itachi awoke to the sound of two screeches coming from outside the room, irritatingly disturbing his sleep. From all the way in the top floor of Asaya's room, the noise had been almost muffled, but his ears were sharp enough to catch it. It was the sound of Asaya leaving her morning patrol duty.<p>

Itachi lay shirtless in the bed. The soft fabric of Asaya's sheets was draped arbitrarily over the low of his hips. Rolling onto his back, he looked out the window. It was much too dark outside to be the regular time she patrolled. She must have decided she didn't want to be in the house. Or perhaps she decided she didn't want to come to bed…

No matter, he would meet her in an hour or so when the light of the sun was more apparent, like he had promised. Closing his eyes, Itachi drifted back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Halfway home from her expedition, Asaya was more than exhausted. She should have taken that extra half hour of nap.<p>

Oh god how monotonous and boring the damn patrol had become. Every day she made two trips around the immediate area, one before sunrise and one just after sunset. Following the same trails and pathways into the forest and along the grassy fields that Iwa shared on its border with Kusa. She was supposed to make a third trip midday, but for sake of her sanity she skipped out on it. It wasn't like anything ever happened in her little piece of nowhere. No S-class criminals would ever have any business with her.

The scenery that enveloped her was actually quite beautiful, and when Asaya had first begun her duty she had thought the views exquisite. However the repetition of her weeks of work had ruined most of the enchantment.

The path Asaya walked along was the border between Iwa and Kusa; a thin but well worn road where the trees and grass parted. Perhaps it was for sake of the boundary between the two countries, that no sapling ever dared sprout beyond the limit of said road. The sky had begun to lighten its shade of blue, and the beginnings of a soft purple hue could be seen over the fields to the east. Turning her body to face the horizon, Asaya rubbed her tired eyes. The view really was beautiful. Those fleeting moments between night and day were certainly the only times in life worth being awake for. Too bad she was horribly sleep deprived.

Asaya looked too awful to enjoy the pleasantries of nature. Sometime during the night she had put her hair in a messy bun to keep the uncomfortable humidity from building up behind her neck, which did anyway despite her efforts. Her cheeks were stained with a red fluster and a sweaty sheen coated her face and shoulders. The tank top she wore was awkwardly stretched around her torso, its neckline skewed to one side of her chest. Dark circles encompassed her eyes, amplified by a puffy squint.

"You should have taken a nap."

Asaya smiled. She had been too tired to hear him creep up behind her. "I wanted to, but someone was hoarding the bed from me."

"Then perhaps next time you should make room for yourself, you seem to have no problem doing so in any other circumstance."

Blushing, Asaya turned around. Itachi stood in front of her, uncloaked and no more than an inch or so away. She looked up at him, and his solemn eyes gave no hint at the joke he had just put forth. Asaya, in her lethargic state, almost missed his rare display of humor, if a little mocking. Her blush deepened, "So what are you doing out here? I thought you had to leave ASAP."

"Kisame won't wake up until ten, if I'm at all lucky. Come, let us sit." He turned to walk back towards the tree line, where he picked a trunk and sat against it, one leg stretched out and the other bent close to his body. Asaya obediently followed. She sat beside him, but instead of stretching out she stationed herself cross legged.

"So you finished the book?"

Asaya sighed. This again? Was that really all he thought about? "Yes, I finished your book."

"And what did you think?"

Asaya took a moment to respond, "Well I liked it, but the author drove me mad. But his individual writing style is not the important part. What I am assuming you want to know is my personal thoughts on his philosophy, no?"

Itachi gave no answer so Asaya continued. "Well, I can't say I exactly agree with him." She paused again, formulating more of her answer. She pinched her eyebrows together. "The idea that a man is only his actions doesn't sit well with me. I think that a man is also his thoughts."

"Why, when it is only our actions that influence and manipulate the world around us. A murder is a murderer." Itachi argued back. "I suppose…" From the corner of her eye, Asaya glanced at a newly sprouted vine. It had just begun creeping up the ample girth of their tree's trunk. "But it is our motivation- our reasoning- upon which we judge the quality of our character. We -or our actions- are never good or evil just for principal of the thing itself. A man can have many reasons for killing another: money, an accident, pleasure, duty, revenge. And yes, they all lead to killing, but it is not for one to judge another without taking into consideration another's motives- reasons."

"Yet the consequence is still the same." Itachi replied, "A life is still lost, and there are those who will mourn for a death, and ultimately seek revenge."

"Not if we try to understand another's motivation and forgive." Asaya leaned her head on his shoulder.

Itachi thought in silence. Forgiveness? "Then you believe that we can overcome our actions, and forgive others in turn, no matter how great the crime?"

"Maybe not always forgiveness, but compassion and tolerance. That is what makes us human, don't you think? People are not intrinsically good or evil just because of one action, but instead always carry a limitless potential for both."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Even Kisame?"

A jolt of pain strike through her veins as she remembered. "…Please don't mention that…" Asaya cast her eyes into her lap, hands caressing each other's fingers. That was a low blow, and even Itachi was surprised he had said it. Through her silence he could feel the tension and unease radiating off her body. He shouldn't have referenced a part of her past that was so heinous. The comment was nothing but a petty and arrogant attempt at winning a trivial debate.

_Must you always throw such knives at me?_ Asaya wondered. Couldn't she have one conversation with him were he did not say something unpleasant?

Looking out into the distance, Itachi could see the first yellow of sunrise beaming up from the horizon. A thin sheen of mist had gently layered itself over the infinite expanse of the grass fields before them, holding an unearthly glow from the light it emanated. The nesting birds had awoken from their slumber and began chirping.

After a long minute of awkward silence, Itachi decided it was time for a change. "How was unsealing the scrolls?"

Distracted, it took Asaya a minute to register he had said something. "Huh? Oh, not too bad. They were just the standard, low-level type seals you've brought before. I would have had time for that nap if I hadn't been so tired when I started on them. And I left them on my desk for you, in case you're wondering." Her eyes remained downcast. Again he was more inclined to switch subjects than acknowledge her. But this was nothing new of his behavior, and she knew she'd have to accept and grow accustomed to it. Sometimes though, the slow gnawing of her dejected frustration with him felt as though it was rotting away at too much of her being._ It doesn't matter_, she told herself.

They sat in still for a few moments more before Asaya decided she needed a change of position. Shifting over, she forcibly nestled herself between his legs, her back to his chest. "What do you think you're doing?" Itachi asked. He wasn't alarmed, but the shameless action was unusual for her.

"You owe me, and I'm tired." She stated. As she closed her eyes she grabbed his right arm and maneuvered it around her torso to where his hand rested on her hip. As she burrowed herself into place she clasped her own limbs around his, preventing him from escaping.

Itachi decided to yield to her; she could have her way, just this once. Lifting a hand to caress her cheek, he tucked a stray hair behind her ear, in which he softly whispered, "I can't be here when you wake up."

Asaya was already half lost to sleep, but the sensation of his breath on her ear and neck aroused her enough to hear him. "I know."

* * *

><p>The sun had long since fully risen into the apex of the sky, and the shroud of mist which covered the grasslands had evaporated with the rising heat. Itachi held Asaya for a brief eternity before he felt that she was in a deep enough sleep to remove himself from under her. Gently, he rested her sleeping form beneath the shade of the tree. Had she been left in direct sunlight, her fair complexion would have burned.<p>

Gazing at her figure one last time, Itachi muttered a brief word of departure and turned to head back towards the house. In due time, he would be back for her, undoubtedly with another assignment.

* * *

><p>Through the small crack between navy curtains, a tiny beam of sunlight aimed itself directly into the face of a sleeping boy. Irritated by the intrusion of daylight into his slumber, Tsuta rolled over and covered his face with a pillow.<p>

It was a moment later that Tsuta discovered that his efforts to get back to sleep were in vain. There was a new problem; the urge to relieve himself. Groaning in defeat, Tsuta flung the covers from his body. There was no sense in trying to sleep when nature decided otherwise. Tsuta dragged his feet as he walked down the hall, to the last door on the left where he entered.

A rather loud flush resonated from the bathroom as Tsuta concluded his business. He exited the bathroom feeling much relieved. Now he could shuffle himself back to bed and finish his much needed rest.

However, the clock on the hallway wall begged to differ. The time was 1:34pm, as boldly displayed on its face. The detestable thing hung itself right in front of Tsuta, to serendipitously ruin his plans he was sure.

Wait, hadn't Itachi said he and Kisame would be gone by early that morning? If so then they would be long gone by now, in which case he could safely go downstairs and make breakfast. Or really, a late lunch as it was far past morning.

The sound of Tsuta's feet reverberated throughout the house as he trampled the stairs beneath him. A stagnant air always loomed in the house whenever any of the Akatsuki 'visited,' and a breath of freshness flowed anew whenever they left. At the thought Tsuta's lips coiled upward. The absence of the criminals really did brighten the house back up. Sunlight shown through the windows and into the kitchen, cheerfully uninhibited by any form of overcast.

The only form of disturbance within the kitchen was the grumbling of Tsuta's stomach. Having missed breakfast and now being overdue for lunch, the boy was a little more than hungry. But what to eat? The instant ramen he usually made whenever Asaya hadn't prepared anything had been frequented enough to become stale.

Speaking of which, where was that girl anyway? Probably upstairs drooling in a deeper sleep than he had previously been, he guessed. Bottomless, quite possibly.

But anyway, back to food. If not ramen, then what else was there? Cereal was out of the question, as they had run out of milk a week ago, and he wasn't in the mood for something cold and fibrous. Something warm and full of protein was what he needed. And as he remembered, there were some ground beef leftovers in the fridge. As he opened the door he looked into the top drawer. "Oh, fuck no…" The drawer was empty. "That bastard…" Tsuta grumbled to himself. If only he had the means to punch Kisame in the face. Hard.

But seeing as there were no means by which to accomplish that longstanding goal, he might as well concentrate back on satisfying his empty stomach. On the door of the fridge was a full carton of half-dozen eggs. Perhaps scrambled eggs weren't too bad. After grabbing two from the shelf, he placed them on the countertop next to him. He knelt down to open the lower cabinet assigned to storing pots and pans. Reaching in a hand, he was surprised to pull out something made of cloth. Upon further examination Tsuta found the item to be shaped from two cotton half spheres and miscellaneous elastic straps. A bra.

"_The fuck…?"_

* * *

><p>an:

So does anyone have a guess at what book they were discussing?

And guess what today is? Happy birthday Itachi! (^^)

And thank you plastik cuffs! You are amazing, wonderful, fantastic, awesome, incredible, (insert made up word here), etc., etc.!


	2. Rabbits On The Run

7/4/11- Update, did some minor rearranging and editing.

Ok, so this is kinda really messy... sorry! And I apologize in advance for the extreme absence of Itachi. (But a 'lil secret; you will seem him more if you look beyond the literal) ;3

* * *

><p>Dawn.<p>

The bright sun of an early spring morning shown down onto the vast spread of an open field. All forms of life were alive and in flourishing. The flowers, now in full blossom, proudly flaunted their colors, each hue sprinkled throughout a background of the brightest green. Small perching birds remained nested and sang little notes as they coddled their hatchlings. Even the insects, with their penchant for irritating all inhabitants, politely respected the hallowed moment. And everything, down to each individual blade of fresh, green grass was slicked with sweet dew.

In a scant canopy of tall grass, a pair of rabbits remained close together, a black one sleeping peacefully and another white one munching quietly on their lofty surroundings. The sleeping one's chest lightly rose and fell with the tempo of its slow breathing, and its leg twitched every so often in delight of what may have been an engaging dream.

The white rabbit abruptly stood up onto its hind legs, rotating its ears from side to side. Just a moment before it thought it had heard a rustling from beyond the grass. It turned its head sharply to the right. This time it was sure it heard the soft sound of a predator's cautious footsteps.

Leaning back down, the white rabbit slowly made its way over to its sleeping mate, and gave it a nudge. The eyes of the black one blinked a couple times as they stared into the deep red of the other's, who nudged its partner again, clearly uneasy. Though drowsy, the black one was quickly brought to attention when it too heard the rustling. Now on all fours, it followed closely behind the white one as they crawled back towards their burrow.

From in front, the white one halted. Only two feet from their sanctuary, the black one wondered what could be wrong. Why halt now, when safety was so close?

The white rabbit again shifted its ears from side to side, listening closely for any sound to indicate what lurked hidden behind the grass. It heard nothing. No sound emanated from around them: no whistling wind, no tweeting from birds, not even the infernal buzzing of a stray bumble bee. Was whatever had been there gone now? No, it couldn't be…

I front of them a red burst erupted through the stocks of grass. It pounced and landed, clawed feet only an inch or so from the white rabbit. Now looming over it were the sickening yellow eyes of a red fox, staring directly into the red of the rabbit's. Their black pupils communicated the perpetual understanding between predator and prey; _run_.

In an instant both rabbits turned and fled. The pair moved their feet under them as fast as they could, and the red fox covered their footprints. At a rapid pace they darted through the underbrush, gaining for themselves a slight lead. Between grass, bushes, and roots they ran until they entered unto the flat expanse of an open field.

Against the lush green of their new background, the two differed dramatically in their individual ability to camouflage. The black rabbit, with its apt dark hue, easily blended in with the shadows cast between the hills. Its white companion, however, could be as easily seen as a flamingo in a bevy of swans, even despite the dim light of morning.

A few strides into the field the white rabbit, running side by side with the black one, slowed to a stop and looked back at the underbrush through which they had previously came. Where was the fox? There was no trace of even the faintest movement within the tall grass. Had it gone? Were they safe?

From a ways ahead the black rabbit noticed the absence of its mate's footfalls. It too stopped, and looked back for the other. Immediately black eyes set upon the pristine white of the other's coat. The white rabbit was still looking back at the path through which they came. What was it waiting for? The fox, though not in sight, would certainly catch it.

The black rabbit's heart pounded faster. It turned and hurried towards its companion, only to be halted when an illustrious white head turned and red eyes locked its own profound black. Anxious, an ear inquisitively rotated on the axis of a black head: _what_?

The same red burst spewed forth from the between the blades of tall grass. The fox curled its jowls back to expose threatening canine teeth, yellowed by extensive use and accumulated tarter. A slick sheen of saliva outlined the corners of a black muzzle, and the pink tissue of a tongue protruded ever so slightly from between sharp incisors. Ears and eyes were pinned forward to lock directly onto the small form of opaque white fur.

The white rabbit bolted off again as soon as it saw the flaring red of its predator. It looked straight forward at the feint outline of the other. From ahead, the black rabbit stood still as it restlessly waited for its mate to catch up. It had seen a small, abandoned hole up ahead in which they could both hide. If they could just reach it together…

But the fox was so close on the white plume running ahead. A little rabbit heart pumped blood as fast as it possibly could, lungs intaking and expelling air even faster. It concentrated on the shadowed figure of the black rabbit waiting up ahead. Didn't it know to run? If it lingered, there was the very real possibility that the fox would kill it too. And the white one was directly leading the fox to it…

In a split second, the white rabbit turned on its hindquarters in a sharp ninety degree angle to the left. The red fox, which was thrown off for a second, spun its back legs out and tried to quickly regain composure and follow its prey. It fell back a foot or so behind the closure it had on the rabbit.

Both the hunter and the hunted now grew tired. The fox now ran with its mouth gaping open, teeth bared and breathing hard, causing a froth of saliva to drip from a swollen mucous membrane. The rabbit fluctuated its tiny lungs as efficiently as it could, diffusing as much oxygen as possible to tired muscles. Its pink nose began to feel raw with the sting of air forced too quickly in and out of the small passage.

The fox knew that if it didn't capture the rabbit soon, it would collapse and its hunt would be for nothing. Quite possibly the rabbit knew this too as it pushed forward and back into the direction of the stocks of grass from whence they came. If it could reach them then possibly it could lose the fox and hide until safe.

From a hill on high the black rabbit watched as its white partner darted away. Where was it going? Its own heat beat fretfully as it followed the direction the other ran off in, easily keeping the two in sight from its elevated position.

The pair below raced madly, each trying desperately to reach their own goal. The white rabbit was almost free now, only a short distance from shelter, chest lightening in anticipation. Luminous white feet placed themselves in perfect stride. Until its front-right paw fell upon a minute and disembodied pebble.

In an undying instant the immaculate form of the white rabbit tumbled to the ground. The air in its chest froze as it smashed itself face first into dirt. Seizing its chance, the fox thrust its fangs forward and into the delicate jugular of its prey. The white rabbit didn't even notice as it lost consciousness.

In the distance, the black rabbit watched every moment as the image of the red fox lunged over its mate. Its body arrested itself, lungs unmoving, yet the pounding of a tiny heart rung in ebony ears as the horror sunk in.

The white rabbit was dead.

* * *

><p>With a sharp intake of breath Asaya awoke. Her eyes gawked open and she immediately sat up. Shaking hands clutched her wavering chest, as a cold sweat coated her face and a hot chill ran down her spine. <em>What was that?<em> She wondered. Whatever that dream was had been was too real. She hadn't had a dream as vivid and heartrending in years, if ever. No, that was no dream. It was a nightmare. About rabbits of all things.

With a deep sigh Asaya fell down to lie on her back, splaying her arms out beside her. She took a few more deep breaths, and looked up at the lacing branches above her. _Branches? When did I get here? _It didn't take long before she remembered resting beside a tree with Itachi. The same tree she was still under now. He must have left her sometime after she had fallen asleep, like he had said he would.

Asaya blinked as she looked up at the sky. She must have been asleep for a long while, as there was no longer any light in the sky- no sunlight anyway. The only source of luminance was the ambiguous cluster of stars that shown through the otherwise empty night sky. There was no moonlight either, as that sphere was hiding in the beginning of its cycle of rebirth. Out in the country, the stars were much more vivid. Whenever Asaya looked up while she lived in Iwagakure, she always noted that the ubiquitous lamps hung to guide people as they crossed over the villages many bridges diluted the intensity of the night sky, making its fine details too hard to see. Effectively though, those same lamps had their own equally pleasing view, gently swaying in the breeze as they emanated an ethereal glow.

Rolling onto her side, Asaya could see the grass fields of Kusagakure. They looked peaceful. A soft rustle echoed into her ears as wind rolled across the tall stocks, making them bend and wave in gentle motions. _Maybe there are rabbits out there too… _She thought mockingly. If there were, they would most likely be sleeping, and dreaming their own dreams, but no matter.

As of now, Asya was alone, and out at night in this scenery it was too depressing to be without someone else. Asaya propped herself back up and sat cross legged, elbows resting on her knees, and gave another glance at the field.

That immeasurable distance before her was unknown territory, as she was not allowed to set foot beyond the border. Doing so would have been viewed as an act of treason against her own country, and a declaration of war against Kusa.

Standing up, Asaya dusted off her clothes and pulled them back into place from the skewed position sleeping on dirt had left them in. She untied her bun and used her fingers to comb out her hair. Small partials of debris had found their way into the fine strands of her black hair. And a few tangles needed to be removed too. It had always bothered her that no matter how thoroughly or frequently she combed it, her infuriatingly thin strands would always carry a hidden kink. After she was satisfied with her improvised grooming, she tied up her hair again in another bun equally as untidy as the first- despite the intention to keep herself manicured- and then turned and headed back towards the house. Soon, she would be home and safe to relax.

* * *

><p>Just up one final hill was the house. It stood stark and desolate; shingles and siding barely clung to its frame and extensive weather damage gave almost no hint to whatever color the wood had originally been stained. But to Asaya it was a welcomed haven.<p>

As she approached closer, she could see a light originating from the corner of the house occupied by the living room. Tsuta must have still been awake. How late at night was it anyway? Hopefully not too late, as Asaya didn't want to upset her delicately arranged sleep schedule too much.

Treading up to the front door, she lazily kicked off her sandals to the side, twisted the doorknob, and quietly snuck in. If she was quiet enough, she could avoid Tsuta and whatever explanations he would demand of her extended disappearance. At least until tomorrow. Luckily, being a trained kunoichi left her more than sufficiently trained to avoid detection from a simple teenage boy. Though despite those teachings, Asaya couldn't help but take a small peek through the small crack in the living room's sliding door, to look in on whatever Tsuta might be up to…

Tsuta slept on his back across a small, worn futon. His right arm rested over his eyes and a wonton leg hung over the side his makeshift bed. Sleeping without a pillow forced his head to tilt back at an unusual angle, causing his jaw to hang open ever so slightly. On the low table before him rested an open book and a half empty cup of cold tea. _He must have stayed up late for me, _she realized.

It was a wonder how someone as large as Kisame was able to make himself comfortable on that feeble piece of furniture. She and Tsuta were only able to fit because of their short height, and Tsuta just barely now that he was in the middle of another growth spurt. Sparsely had Asaya ever actually seen Kisame sleep on the furnishing, but she thought he looked like an overgrown toddler trying to fit back into the crib of its infancy.

Chuckling, Asaya slowly opened the door and crept inside. She wouldn't need to worry about him waking, he slept deeply enough. Over the back of the futon lay a cotton quilt, stitched from uncountable squares of miscellaneous patterns. Neither she nor Tsuta remembered where the thing had come from; simply that it had always been in the house. Asaya grabbed the quilt from over him and unfolded it in both hands. With a gentle motion she draped it over Tsuta's sleeping body. Tenderly she tucked him in, and stroked his cheek as she whispered a soft goodnight.

After her maternal moment, Asaya turned around to the table to pick up the teacup and book. Examining the piece of literature in her hands, she immediately recognized it. It was small and thin, not even two hundred pages in length. On the cover of the navy clothbound book the title was displayed in faux gold foiling; _The Stranger_. A big grin appeared on Asaya's face as she read the title. This was the book Itachi had given to her. Apparently Tsuta had found it from wherever she had left it.

Asaya bent over and blew out the oil lamp on the table. Unfortunately, the kitchen was the only room in the house with any form of electricity, unreliable as it was. Leaving the book on the table for Tsuta, she took the teacup with her as she exited the room, heading towards the kitchen where she would rinse out the cup and set it to dry. After doing so she trotted upstairs to her own room.

After opening the door, her eyes immediately settled on her own bed. It too was a futon, but thankfully larger and made of a more comfortable mattress. The sheets were laid out perfectly, as if no one had ever used them. Itachi must have arranged them before he left. Though she was thankful for his generosity, it troubled her at the same time. His immaculate assembling of her sheets gave the bed a characteristic emptiness whenever he left. As if he had never been there at all…

_Maybe that was his intention…, _Asaya thought, then immediately shook herself out of her forlorn disposition. There was no sense in sulking. Itachi would be back eventually, she just had to wait.

Treading over to her dresser, she changed out of her dirty clothes and into a new set of lightweight pajamas. Tonight was another humid tempest and she didn't like to feel hot and sweaty in her own bed. Asaya already felt a coat of grime on her body, but decided to forgo taking a shower for sake of how exhausted she still was. Besides, as soon as she woke up she'd just have to patrol again.

Crawling into bed, Asaya laid awake for only a few moments before she fell back asleep, this time to hopefully not dream about rabbits.

* * *

><p>Ok, so to clarify something. There will be no more after this. Sorry. I should have mentioned that this was a simple short in the first chapter.<p>

And if you have any questions or suggestions, like if you think someone is OOC or something could use a bit more clarification and editing, _please _tell me. I am more then willing to listen.


	3. Winter Song

Ok ok, so I added another chapter... this one takes place long before the first two. Again, I must warn you that things will be kind of confusing, as there is just another excerpt with no explanation of buildup before this point. Hopefully though, this one will be a little better than the last two about it.

* * *

><p>In the cold of an early December's night the dulcet sound of music faintly rang outside the doors of a small auditorium. Elegantly each note pattered on walls and out through the cracks and crevices between doors and windows. The premiere attraction was a mixed repertoire of soloists, each playing a few masterworks on their instrument of choice. The attraction warranted a full house of listeners, including one that didn't bother to pay for a ticket.<p>

Upon the rooftop huddled the extra listener, apt to hear the pleasantries after a long week of travel. Asaya was eager to hear this performance two days ago when she and her two "escorts" entered the city. A small poster on the door of the inn they were staying at let her know there would be such a performance, so she decided to use it as an excuse to take a break from her company. Traveling with them was uneasy at best. There were days when not a single word was exchanged between the three of them. Save for maybe a couple lines about what ever direction they were headed in. She had been traveling with them for god knows how fucking long and she still didn't know why they took her or where they were going, just that whatever or wherever it was would probably be at least slightly dangerous.

At least they were in town now, and she could sleep in a hotel, with warm sheets and real food. Camping outside on the cold winter ground next to two S-class criminals lost all excitement long ago. No matter, she was at least able to get away for this small moment and collect her thoughts…

Oh, how they infuriated her! Besides the obvious distain Asaya acquired initially after they abducted, restrained, and beat her, they were just downright unpleasant to be around. The large, blue mutant known as Hoshigaki Kisame constantly rough housed her whenever he got the chance. Though his measures were extreme, she couldn't exactly claim that she had been the most obedient captive. She had tried to run more than once from them, and twice managed to successfully get away, if only for a short time. Now, at first sign of her taking any step out of line Kisame would hurl her violently to the floor, possibly with a couple swings of his fist; to set the precedent that she would not, under any circumstances, be allowed to escape again.

Uchiha Itachi was entirely different matter. Although he was the one who abducted her, he had since only disciplined Asaya once after she had made her second escape attempt, an experience she didn't want to repeat. He was always quiet and reserved, with a gaze that Asaya wouldn't dare to look into. The hollow black of his eyes weighed down upon her as if she were stripped naked in front of him, as if he could see every sin she had ever dared to commit. Before him she was nothing more than a mere blemished soul, displayed under an omniscient god to determine her final judgment. Whatever went on within his mind was a complete enigma, although she knew that the young man was more than capable of inflicting greater harm to her then his partner ever could.

She supposed that Kisame and Itachi weren't entirely successful in their attempts to control her, as here she was now, away from them, alone, sitting on top of an auditorium, and huddled in a blanket she stole from one of the rooms they rented. Although, she knew that in reality there was no sense in trying to get all the way back to Iwa, so she understood that she would eventually have to go back, or wait for one of them to find her.

Asaya was only able to get away because the Uchiha had left her in the care of Kisame while he went off and took care of whatever "business" she apparently needed to know nothing about. Kisame, being his lovely self, went to the bar downstairs and drank himself three sheets to the wind, while he left her tied up in the closet, for some reason confident that she wouldn't try anything. Of course she would try and get out, if only for a bit.

Out on the rooftop, Asaya actually had a good view from where she sat next to a vent in the ceiling. From the vantage point, she had a bird's eye view of the stage, complete with fairly good acoustics. The vent she looked into was meant to provide an escape for the smoke and heat from the many chandelier candles illuminating the grand auditorium. Every so often there was a stray waft of candle smoke, causing Asaya to crinkle her nose and look away, but for the most part her experience was a pleasure, despite the aching cold of the season.

A cry of applause echoed into her ears as a cellist finished his final solo. The volume that the cellist evoked from the audience was well deserved, and nearly masked all other sound from entering Asaya's small and frozen ears. Almost…

From behind her, the tread of a man's footprints traveled into her ears as well. The intruder clearly made no attempt at hiding his presence from her, with chakra flaring and heavy steps; he wanted to be noticed. "What are you doing?" By his tone she could tell the man clearly didn't expect an excuse reasonable enough to satisfy him. By his voice she could also tell that it was the Uchiha who stood behind her now. Asaya looked over her shoulder at him. The Uchiha stood in full uniform. The traditional red clouded cloak adorned his frame, and his sugegasa's cloth strips motioned gently in the wind.

Asaya did not reward him with an answer, and instead huddled herself back into the blanket she had stolen from their hotel. She ignored him as she gazed back into the vent. "Have you gone deaf?" He spoke again, only half expecting an answer.

Whenever the young woman conflicted with them she knew to hold her tongue. Any form of resistance by verbal assault was not kindly met, so she had learned quickly the advantages of silence, as well as other boundaries she could and couldn't cross. Her apt intelligence as a captive was one of the few qualities he enjoyed about the girl, as it made the task of managing her much less stressful. Unfortunately though, this particular situation he found them in now was not exemplary of her behavior.

Itachi had gone to the outskirts of town to speak with Zetzu, leaving Asaya with Kisame for the evening. At first he hoped that the other Akatsuki would finally give him the answer to why they needed the kunoichi, as the only instructions he was given so far were to capture and detain her until further notice. But no, all the plant-man wanted was an update on her health and wellbeing, so he could report back to Leader. The uncertainty of not knowing how long he would be stuck with her was beginning to gnaw at his peace of mind.

* * *

><p>After giving his report to Zetzu, Itachi immediately walked back to the inn, as he was not entirely trusting of Kisame's babysitting skills. Unfortunately Itachi's intuition was correct. As soon as he had gotten back to check on Kisame's room he saw that the shark had chosen to drink himself to sleep, with little thought to their responsibility. The owner of the family run establishment had his sons carry his offending partner upstairs after causing a small ruckus and passing out. Sadly, Itachi expected better from his partner. Although Kisame normally did this when they entered town after a long travel, Itachi hoped for better considering their unusual circumstance.<p>

Speaking of that circumstance, there was still the question of where the girl was. Itachi had last remembered leaving her in his room, with the command not to leave, and instructions to Kisame to watch her. He had seen how one half of his intentions ended, and with any luck the other would be better.

No, it was not better. His room was dark and completely unoccupied. The closet doors were open and on the floor between them lay discarded strands of rope. It seemed that Kisame, despite all his previous knowledge about the girl, thought that simple rope and a pair of flimsy doors would be sufficient enough to hold her. As Itachi looked about the rest of the room he noticed that the bed's comforter was missing. His red eye twitched ever so slightly. This was not turning out to be a good night.

It did not take him long to find the girl. The only real reason it took any effort at all was because they were in a large city crowded with people, making it hard to pinpoint her chakra. She had made no attempt to cover her footprints, left no misleading trails, or took any means by which to hide her chakra. She did not hide in come dark crevice in the city, or even try to find an Iwa safe house; she simply sat on the roof of an elaborate building. Curious, because this girl had just been given every capability to run again, and this time possibly succeed in getting back to Iwa.

* * *

><p>'<em>So why didn't she?' <em>Itachi wondered to himself as he stood behind her. "Woman, I asked you a question."

"I have a name, you know." She said, still not meeting his gaze.

"So there is your voice. Tell me, Kagami-san, what do you think you are doing?" He asked again, bitterly.

Asaya remained quiet for a moment longer. He had used her surname. That wasn't much better. "My name is Asaya, Uchiha-san. And I came to listen."

"To what? The silence of your own voice?" Normally Itachi wasn't one for sarcasm, but the situation called for it.

Asaya, looking into the vent, saw a woman in a formal dress sit down in front of a piano. She turned her head to look at Itachi, and raised a hand from within the confines of her blanket to hold a finger to her lips, then extended that finger to point into the vent. Itachi came up behind her, peering over her shoulder, inquisitive as to what she was pointing at.

A loud 7th chord shot through the air, quickly followed by a series of trills. From over her shoulder Itachi saw the black outline of a grand piano, complete with pianist. She had come to listen to music, he realized. "Music? You ran away again for this?" Really, all this trouble for a few compositions?

Silence again. Discouraged by his callous words, she didn't feel like arguing with him.

"Kaga-"

"It's Asaya." She chided.

He narrowed his eyes. "Very well. If you answer my question."

It took a moment for Asaya to organize exactly what to say. Clearly, there was no lie she could tell him, so the challenge was how to make the truth seem as reasonable as possible. "... Hoshigaki-san, he… After he locked me in the closet, he then went downstairs to the bar, no?"

She took his silence as confirmation.

"Well, I didn't exactly want to be there," she cast her gaze away from him again, "when he came back…"

Itachi's expression relaxed, her worries were reasonable. "We were given strict orders not to… damage you."

_Damage? What line does that draw? _She wondered. "Orders from who? And why?" Asaya wanted to know exactly who was responsible for her misery, and since he brought it up it was a perfect time to ask.

Now it was Itachi's turn to carefully choose an answer. Normally, he wouldn't reveal that information to a hostage without express permission to do so, but he had been with the girl for some time now. Leader didn't expect him to keep her in the dark for so long, there would be no point. By now she knew at least enough about Kisame and himself that whenever the Akatsuki were done with her, she would be killed. "I will answer that on the condition that you answer another of my questions: why come all the way out here, and not try to escape again?" Making her answer first would give him time to prepare an appropriate response for himself.

The question was bugging him. She had every opportunity, but instead sat there in plain sight, as if she wanted him to find her.

Taken aback, Asaya then turned to listen to the music. What was with all of these difficult questions? He never had any care for her before. "Because it would be futile. I don't even have any idea where we are, other than that it's not Iwa, and we have been traveling so long that we're probably so far away I could never run without you catching me. Does that satisfy you?"

She spoke as if she had accepted being held prisoner, at least for now. Good, because it meant that he wouldn't have to deal with any childish fits or temper tantrums. She was proving to be very level headed about the whole thing, which was a load off of his mind. "One more,"

Before Itachi could explain himself just yet, the pianist moved into her second piece. Her fingers raced up to the high end of the keys, to stay there and dance for a while, and then repeat the motions in variation.

Only thrown off for a moment, Itachi finished his statement, "Why here specifically? At this venue."

"Isn't that self explanatory? I saw a poster about a day ago, and I like the music, so I came." Fair enough, he supposed that he didn't expect any monumental explanation from her.

Through the pair's silence, the _allegro_ tempo of the pianist hung about them in tension.

"Will you then answer my question?" She asked.

Itachi took another moment to percolate his reply. "What do you know already?"

Asaya wrinkled her nose. Was he really going to run her around the bush again? "Well, obviously you answer to some kind of authority, and there are more of you. Although, I can't imagine too many, as you seem to be able to work internationally without being discovered, or I would have already known who you are. Other than that, I know nothing besides you and Hoshigaki-san. And the strange plant being I have seen you talk to on occasion."

_Smart girl, _Itachi observed. "You are correct. We are in a small international terrorist organization called Akatsuki." He might as well tell her, with the way things were going she would figure out eventually.

"And why me?" Asaya pressed the question foreword, as it was what she most wanted to know; what they were planning to do with her.

'_Why me?' _Itachi repeated. Yes, the eternal question that plagued all forms of personal misfortune; why me? "I don't know."

"You don't know? What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Asaya was visibly upset at his answer. She had been abducted and dragged halfway around the known world by now, and for no readily available reason? What kind of great terrorist organization kidnapped a girl without a plan?

"Exactly what I said, Asaya-san. I was given no other instructions other than to detain and hold you until further notice."

Not completely satisfied with his explanation, Asaya scowled and huddled herself further into her blanket, and focused back on the performance below them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi saw the irritation plastered on her face. At least he wasn't the only one having a less than perfect evening.

"What did you mean by 'damage'?" Asaya asked. She had never spoken so many words to him, leading her to feel a tad uncomfortable

Itachi drew in a deep breath. In truth, even he didn't know what that truly meant."I can assure you, Asaya-san, that you will not be harmed to the point where you cannot continue living life as you are now." It was a gamble, but better than saying nothing.

"And after you have found your use for me?"

"I cannot promise you anything beyond that."

A long silence dangled between them, contrasting with the wrought piano echoing through the vent. Within that conflict, Asaya pondered the weight of her undecided future.

A harsh wind blew passed them, giving its own unique spin on the moment. Itachi stood firm and erect, not at all swayed by the element. Asaya however, covered her entire face within the stolen comforter. The top of her head remained exposed, and the length of her sable hair wisped in a laced flurry. When the wind finally did pass, she again raised her head.

Nervousness slowly seeped into her veins as she comprehended the situation. She was sitting on the roof of an auditorium, having momentarily escaped from her captors with a stolen blanket, and now in awkward silence next to one of those said captors. What was he thinking anyway? Shouldn't he have taken her back to the hotel already?

To ease her nerves, Asaya looked out at the cityscape. Bright lights stretched out over the ground, only disappearing at the shore of a distant lake. Far below, the hustle and bustle of busy salesmen, shoppers, stray animals, and many others drifted into her ears. "Are there more places like this in the world? The villages just outside Iwa are nothing like this." She whimsically asked him, then instantly worried that she spoke out of turn once she realized she had inquired aloud.

"Many, and this isn't even one of the largest." Distracted by the stress of his long evening, Itachi answered without thinking.

Hearing the ease at which he answered, she immediately asked another. "Are there cities larger than the capitol?"

"A few, but this far north it is uncom-" A thought hit him midsentence. "Were you ever allowed outside your village?" The way she acted surprised by the grandeur made him question her travel experience.

A blush crept into her cheeks as the embarrassment of seeming naive. "I have been to the capitol once, a few years ago. The only missions I am sent on are in the immediate area, other than that I go a few times year to the monastery, and as you know even that isn't a very extensive distance away…"

"I see…" Itachi knew exactly what she meant. The monastery had been where they first encountered each other. "What position are you in, to not leave far from the village for missions." He was suspicious of her. He knew that she was no low level genin, he had seen her in action. She was a much higher level than that, making it all the more peculiar.

Caught off guard by his question, she stumbled over her words. "Oh.. Um.. Torture and Interrogation Division."

She was lying. Itachi knew immediately. Not because she seemed an unlikely candidate for the position, being a young woman with a diminutive bearing, but because she had shown alarm at his question, followed by a pause to respond, and stumbled over her response.

"I see." He thought it would be best not to interrogate her further. Although he now thought that whatever she was hiding was key to answer his ongoing question about her status as an Akatsuki prisoner.

Asaya's eyes wavered as she evaluated his response. He knew she was lying, she was sure of it. But he clearly didn't choose to pursue the truth, both a relief and a worry. For now she was safe, but when he asked later, who knew what would happen.

The pianist finished her final series of chords, and as she lifted her hands from the keys the audience erupted in another fit of applause.

Itachi took it as a cue to take himself and Asaya back to the hotel. "Come now, it is getting late." He watched as Asaya obediently stood up and began to fold the comforter in her arms."Leave it, I will ask for another one when we get back."

She did as she was told and dropped it, and then followed close behind him as he turned and left.

As they walked through the doors of the small hotel, Itachi took off his sugegasa and immediately walked up to the bar table where the elderly innkeeper was talking with his equally aged wife. Though interrupted from their conversation, they politely looked up at their guest. "Oh, my. I hadn't realized you were both out so late. Is there anything I can get for you two?" The old woman asked sweetly.

"My room, 218, is in need of a comforter." The words passed easily out of Itachi's mouth.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience; I will deliver a new one up shortly."

With a short nod Itachi left to walk back towards the stairs leading to their rooms.

"Is there anything you need, dear?" The old woman spoke to Asaya, who had been following right behind Itachi.

"No, but thank you." She answered softly, and followed Itachi back up to their rooms.

Upon reaching room 218, Itachi opened the door and motioned Asaya inside. "You will sleep here tonight. If you leave this room again, I will know." His voice was stern, and his eyes displayed sharingan to display exactly how much he could enforce his words. The door shut as he left her alone in the room.

_Angry, much? _Asaya thought to herself.

The room was exactly the same as when she had left it. The closet doors still had discarded rope between them, the comforter was obviously missing. And the window was still open, so there was a freezing draft wafting around the room. The situation was soon remedied when she closed said window. Now all she had to do was wait for the room to heat up.

Asaya walked over to and sat in the blanket-less bed. Burring her face in her palms and let out an aggravated groan. Could her situation get any weirder? Now, instead of being just the captive of two thugs, she was prisoner to an international terrorist organization. And for what? Use in an underground prostitution ring?

Before her thoughts could fall further into a pit or despair, a knock echoed off of her door. When she answered it she found the old woman from downstairs with an extra large, extra fluffy comforter. The old woman calmly walked past her and over to the bed saying, "This was the best I could find for you, and it appears I've chosen right, what a nasty chill."

Still standing by the door, Asaya quietly watched as the old woman proceeded to spread the generous comforter on the bed in proper fashion.

"There, hopefully you won't freeze while you sleep."

"Thank you." Asaya said.

"Ah, do not worry. Doing the small things like this are what keep my old body moving." The old woman smiled. "Now you two-" Stopping mid sentence, the old woman realized that Asaya was otherwise alone in the room. "Oh, never mind then. Have a good night." With a final nod she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Night." Asaya blinked a couple times. _Crazy old woman, _she thought. Yet her kindness was still appreciated.

But it didn't matter, it was time for sleep. As she walked over to the bed, she stripped down to her underclothes, which consisted of her black underwear and a grey tank top. Before crawling in, she folded her pants, half-length kimono jacket, and obi into a neat pile.

The warmth of the comforter was welcomed as it insulated her from the chill. She curled her legs under her, and hugged the comfortable, puffy material closer around her body. It was fortunate that Itachi had let her sleep by herself in the room. She was expecting that she would have to sleep on the floor, as there were no couches or spare beds in either of the rooms.

_Wait, where will Uchiha-san sleep? _The thought stuck in her head. Hoshigaki was sleeping in the other bed, did they-

A loud thud came from across the wall.

Asaya grimaced at the thought. It was better to not think. Now was time for sleep.

After leaving Asaya to herself in the other room, Itachi entered the room occupied by his partner. Stepping over to the small table in the opposite side of the room, Itachi disrobed and prepared for bed.

Passed out and snoring on top of the left side of the bed, Kisame was blissfully unaware of what awaited him. Calmly stalking over to the opposite side of the bed, he lent both of his hands to grab at the edge of the blanket, and pulled.

Kisame tumbled to the floor. He let out a groan of discomfort as his body landed in a warped position. However, the deep sleep of his drunken coma prevented him from waking up.

Satisfied with his achievement, Itachi crawled into bed himself, in desperate need of rest.

* * *

><p>Ah, the ending was just a little of my indulgences creeping out... Sorry if it seemed silly.<p>

And again I would like to thank plastik cuffs, your seal of approval is always good!


	4. Serendipity I

So the real reason this took so long to update is because I have been too lazy to proof read. I actually finished this a few weeks back, but just never got around to a final editing and posting. Sorry... I still haven't worked out all the tweaks, so I will probably re-post this sometime later.

Also, this is another excerpt that takes place early in the story arc, and may answer at least some questions. Maybe? Sorry for the lact of liner consistancy. ... Actually, we seem to be consistently moving backwards in time... .

* * *

><p>It had been a while since Itachi and Kisame had been in Earth country, much less so close to Iwa itself. The last time the pair had been there was almost a year or so ago, when they recruited Deidara. The country, as one might presume, was filled with high mountains and deep ravines, and like now with its usual dismal overcast. Where the two Akatsuki found themselves now was mid way up a nameless member of said mountain population. Alone and far away from even the smallest village, the two camped on the side of an abandoned road overlooking their recently acquired quarry.<p>

"For such an uneasy girl, she sure sleeps well." Kisame said offhandedly, cutting the silence.

It was true, Asaya slept sounder than a dead cow as far as Kisame was concerned. She laid not too far off from them, curled into herself on the ground, and using her flimsy haori as insulation from the autumn chill. Other then the obvious discomfort of the environment, she held a dreamy expression on her face.

"What a troublesome thing. Why come all the way out here to grab this feeble, midget girl?" Kisame continued. In the years he had known Itachi, he had picked up the habit of rambling his inner thoughts every so often, because wasn't like Itachi would complain, or had anything much to say himself. Thus, Kisame was allowed to speak freely. "What are leader's plans for her anyway? She can't possibly be a _jinchuriki_ or a potential recruit. She clearly has no special abilities, or we would have been told."

Leaning forward, Kisame continued, "And how are we supposed to keep her, huh? Tie her up with rope and lead?"

"She will follow without further incidence. She's learned her lesson." Itachi replied. They were referring to her little escape attempt about a day ago, where she managed to get two miles away before they caught her. Kisame immediately implemented her repercussions with a beating. Effectively, it got the message across.

"And we will receive further instructions soon," He continued. "Zetsu-san should be on his way."

"Tch," Kisame gazed back at the sleeping girl. Fretfully, Asaya turned over in her sleep. What a pain in the ass this assignment was going to be.

Itachi sat cross legged, hands folded into his sleeves. The temperature was already cold and combined with the thin air of the altitude his fingers and toes began to grow numb. How was it that the girl was able to fall asleep so easily? Perhaps it was a natural resistance built up from living in the country, but he could also swear it was inhuman.

At approximately five in the morning, neither he nor Kisame were very well rested, as they were both kept awake from the biting cold. Needless to say they were both a little irritated. Through his heavy squint Itachi stared intensely at their dying camp fire. Iwa was a terrible country to travel in. It was cold, there was never any sun, the wind blew damp, musky air in their faces, and the terrain was so steep and rocky they could travel no more than a few measly miles in a day.

There were no villages, towns, or any form of advanced civilization on the route they were ordered to travel. There was only one small village that they passed at the base of the mountain yesterday evening, and the 'population' – as it was too small to even be called a town- was so backwater that there was no inn or any other form of true commerce. The entire centre of stabilization revolved around a rice field, river, sparse livestock, and a few ramshackle houses. The villagers spoke with such a thick dialect not one of the three could communicate to ask for a place to stay. And as Asaya suggested, they may have been speaking bits of another language as well. Needless to say, they chose to forgo staying the night and traveled another few hours until they came unto where they are now; camping on the side of a long abandoned road and very unhappy.

"To have to travel all this way, is a much more extreme attempt to hide our presence within this country than ever before. This woman must be important." Itachi took the initiative to speak his thoughts in the silence this time.

"Girl, you mean? I doubt it; we specifically have had to lay very low ever since that one visit to Fire Country about two years back. Leader-sama probably just wants to be extra careful now that we have this thing to cause complications." Kisame's point was valid. Ever since the failed attempt at catching the Kyuubi, the name of Akatsuki became too fluent on the tongues of many village's higher ups. For this transgression the two were given orders to remain as low as possible, but they were never before denied access to civilization altogether. "Besides, like I said before, if she were anything special we would have known."

A rustling came from behind the sleeping body of their current mission. Both Akatsuki turned their heads immediately. Up from the ground, a green sprout immerged, growing taller and fuller to reach full stature as the strange being known as Zetsu. Their anticipated guest had arrived.

"My, I see you are all doing well," Spoke the white half. "Tell me, is this one doing well too? She looks as tasty as a dead cow." There was a clear, hungry glint in his eyes.

Kisame smirked at his comment. "Good for this shitty place. Now what message do you have for us?"

"**As you know, Leader-sama wants you to take a specific route out of this country.**" The black half spoke this time, but it was the white that finished the thought. "There is a cave system below these mountains. The entrance is on the other side. You are to exit the country using the map we have provided."

"**You will be able to come out on the other side by sometime tomorrow, if you don't stop for a break.**"

Zetsu stretched out a hand holding a map, for which Itachi bent forward and grasped.

"I must warn you, if you get lost in there, chances are you will never get out alive. Ah, well then, I'll see you on the other side!" With those final words Zetsu receded back into the ground, leaving no trace of his previous presence.

Itachi stood up and briefly looked at the map, then stuffed it into his pocket. Behind him, the sky began to brighten just the slightest bit. "Wake her up. We will leave now; the sun is starting to rise."

Kisame stood up as well and dusted off his jacket. Only needing three steps to reach the girl, he then kicked her firmly onto her back.

Asaya immediately awoke, with a loud gasp and clutching at her stomach. After a few seconds of moaning she fluttered her eyes open to look at the offending criminal above her. _What now? _The dread rose in her mind.

Seeing her eyes firmly fix on him, he ordered, "Get up girl. We are leaving."

* * *

><p>After traveling back down the mountain in total silence for some hours, Asaya and the two Akatsuki began to grow weary. The steep and rocky terrain they traveled was far too unenjoyable. About an hour ago, the dilapidated remains of the road they had been traveling disappeared altogether. Easily they adapted to simply climbing up and down and around whatever miscellaneous object may be in their way. This task was not all that difficult, but the stress of their overall situation still tugged at their minds.<p>

Asaya simply recoiled into the seething bitterness and anxiety in her chest. The other two gave no hint as to what they truly thought. Although Asaya could tell from the fatigued looks on their faces that neither of them had gotten any rest last night, giving her a small sense of pleasure.

And then from behind thunder cracked, faintly and off in the distance, but it could still be heard. Itachi and Asaya had stopped to look back, while Kisame continued on unfazed. The standing pair could then see lightning within the high clouds. Like lace it adorned the sky for that momentary instant of ignition.

_Aww, fuck…_ The unfortunate girl thought to herself. Though it had not started raining yet, a glance over her shoulder told Asaya all she needed to know about the oncoming storm. It was fast approaching behind them. If the trio didn't find shelter fast they were going to be in deep trouble. The storms in the mountains of Earth Country were famous. They were violent, brutal, and could last for days. As there was sparse foliage to hold the earth together, mudslides commonly supplemented the storms as well.

The immediate problem was that there was no shelter. Within this specific mountain range there were only a few fir trees and bushes, with none of them big enough to keep even one of them from getting soaked. Much worse was the effects of the climate. The temperature was roughly five degrees Celsius; cold, but not quite cold enough to freeze. Once the rain did finally come and drench them, it would also chill them to the bone. No matter how tough they were as shinobi, they could not escape the very real threat of hypothermia.

Asaya herself had almost died from hypothermia on one occasion, and had no desire to relive the experience. What would they do in a worst case scenario? Easy, follow the survival guides she was taught at Iwa's Academy.

_Huddle in a tight ball for warmth, and wet clothing… _Asaya's thoughts stopped right there. The prospect of the two men before her... _No, just no. _

Needless to say this made Asaya more anxious. Turning to Itachi, who was standing only a few feet in front of her, she began to speak. Sadly she immediately found herself unable to form exactly what to say. "Um, Uchiha-san…"

Immediately he narrowed his eyes at her, and she shyly looked down at the ground instead. "What?"

"The storm, we need to find shelter." She whispered softly.

She was right. He had heard the rumors about the storms in Iwa's mountains, and had no particular desire to find out exactly how true they were. Hopefully, the cave they were heading towards was not too far away. "I know."

Silently, he turned to follow the direction Kisame continued up ahead. Obediently, Asaya followed.

The thunder continued to boom. Over the passing time it had begun to become more boisterous, and it was clear that the storm was creeping up at an increasing rate. The trio was much farther down the mountain now, walking along the edge of a ravine. Slowly they traveled, each stepping, climbing, and jumping at their own pace.

From ahead, Kisame halted. "Oi, Itachi-san," He called at the rear, "I think I found it." Itachi quickly moved to stand right beside his partner, leaving Asaya stumbling to catch up. He scrutinized the landmark Kisame pointed out.

It was a two foot stone with a tiny imprint of Iwa's rock symbol. Was this truly what they were looking for? Itachi guessed that it was the best sign they were going to find though, out in this wilderness. "Down over the edge are some stairs, but I can't guess how far they go." Kisame informed.

Itachi looked. There were in fact "stairs" as he had been informed, but they were so shallow and unsound, barely wide enough for one person. No doubt that at least a few would crumble beneath their feet, if they were that lucky. Unfortunately, there was no telling how far they went down. The ravine itself sunk deep into the earth, its true depths hidden in a shroud of darkness.

Asaya came up beside them to examine the rock and peer over the edge herself. "What do you think of this?" Itachi asked her.

"I'm not quite sure…" She thought for a moment, "There is probably a hideaway carved into the face of the ravine."

Itachi considered her answer for a moment. It was risky going all the way down there, as there was chance that they may need to climb all the way back up, wasting valuable time. The muted cry of the storm echoed behind him. "We will go down. In any case we need shelter."

With an affirmative nod Kisame took the first leap downward.

Asaya continued to look over the edge. Though she herself did not know exactly what was down there, she knew the fact that these men had specifically looked for and found it was bad. This was not something that many in Iwa would know the existence of. Perhaps only the Tsuchikage and a few of the elders at most. It was common knowledge that Iwagakure hadn't sent any forces to this region in over one hundred years, in one of the previous wars. Whatever was down there was abandoned and hidden for a reason.

Before she had a chance to linger to long over the edge, a haunting presence flickered beside her. Turning to look, Asaya was met with the oncoming assault that was sharingan. She winced slightly, but was otherwise able to keep eye contact.

"Go." Was Itachi's stern command.

Immediately Asaya scampered down the side of the cliff.

* * *

><p>It wasn't too far down until Kisame saw a hole in the face of the cliff. For his impressive height of 6'3", the distance between the bottom step and the cave's ledge was nothing more than a large step down. Behind him Asaya with her short body had to make a small leap across. Itachi was only a few steps behind and easily glided down.<p>

"I suppose we have found it?" Kisame stated more than asked.

Before them was the entrance to a cave. It wasn't very wide or tall. Just large enough for Kisame to walk into without trouble. There was no light inside, only the dark shadows one would expect to see.

"What did that thing Zetsu gave you say?"

In response to the question Itachi removed the map he was given from his pocket. Quietly he examined it. "This is the entrance into a cave system. If we pass through we will be able to reach the border by tomorrow."

_A cave system? _Asaya wondered. There were cave systems all over Iwa. But for one all the way out here to be mapped and abandoned... Well, the prospect of what they would find was not good.

A flash of light gave a brief peak into the cave, followed by a clap of thunder.

"We will need light then." From within his cloak Kisame pulled out a scroll, unwrapped it, and summoned a small lantern. As he led the way into the cave the others followed in the order they descended the cliff.

At first there was nothing but a narrow passageway that curved and swelled. At different points it was required to duck or slide sideways, and throughout most of the tunnel it was necessary to keep at least one hand on the wall for stability. As soon as their path widened into a full sized passageway, he tunnels began to fork off into two or more places at a time. Itachi moved to the front and took command navigating.

Eventually they reached a clearing. Although not very big, it was more than enough to accommodate the three travelers.

The lantern light revealed the space to contain some human intervention. Around the room was some miscellaneous rubble. Mostly small rocks, but also pieces of dry, aged wood were piled on one section of the wall. The wood had been some form of manmade structure, the cut and sanded edges were proof. Perhaps it had been a small shrine? However, it had decomposed and fallen to ruins long ago.

According to his history lessons, the best Itachi could guess at this place's original purpose was in one of the previous Shinobi Wars. There was never any substantial fighting in this area, so a tunnel that connected this side of the mountain range to the other side of the border was most likely used to secretly import and export supplies or messages.

In the center was large stalagmite, of which the top had been cut off and carved into a shallow basin. Itachi walked past Kisame and Asaya to inspect the object. Etched in the center of the basin was the kanji for light, while other small symbols decorated the rim. On the side of the structure was Iwa's rock symbol.

_This pillar is a lantern. _Itachi realized. "Kagami-san, come here." he bid.

Asaya did as he commanded and timidly walked to stand behind him to the left.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked.

She inspected the structure as he did, and came to the same conclusion. "…..A lantern."

"Do you know how to activate it?"

"…No." She only half lied. Although Asaya didn't _know _what hand seals needed to be preformed to activate the lantern, she was capable of finding out what they were. That little detail could be neglected. Besides, why do anything nice for these people?

"Kisame, how much oil do you have left?" Itachi asked.

"About enough to last for another few hours, but I have enough sealed away to last another few days."

Good. If they ran out of light while running around in the tunnels their chance of survival was nothing.

Without explaining his actions, Itachi walked over to the pile of wood and grabbed three large pieces, and then set them towards the center of the room. He then drew in a deep breath, encircled his hands around his lips, and exhaled to release a small fireball, igniting the three pieces of wood. Then he retreated to sit on a large rock against the wall.

"I see." Kisame said.

Itachi was essentially saying that they would take a break here for a while. This was more than welcome. The large blue gentleman took his own place against the wall, setting the lantern off to his side. He knew Itachi would keep first watch, as it was how their routine always worked.

Asaya, in her awkward state as the only one still standing, glanced at the others, unsure if it was safe to do the same. She saw no indication otherwise, and so crashed against the wall too. It only took a moment before she fell back asleep.

From the corner of a sharp, tooth-white eye Kisame peered at her in a mixture of disgust and curiosity. Did she really fall asleep that fast? _Dead cow… _he thought bitterly, jealous that she could rest so easily.

* * *

><p>It was late and Itachi was tired. The flames he lit now only dully lapped at the remaining firewood. To stay awake he occupied himself by reading the map Zetzu had given him. It was only a small, concentrated section of a larger map. The only complete route it contained was the one connecting the entrance they came through down two or three possible paths leading to one exit. Many of the tunnels that webbed across the page were only detailed to a certain point, then left to dangle off without further explanation.<p>

Luckily though, there was a map key. There were six small symbols, but the descriptions were illegible to him, as they were part of a code Iwagaure used and stopped using long ago. However, even if he knew the code it wouldn't do him much good; the ink was too warn and faded to clearly make out the tiny characters. Some symbols, like a little red triangle were easily understandable; the presence of a lantern. The junction they were in now was marked with one. But others were not so simple. In a few sections of the map, there were spots littered with black diamonds. The meaning to them was completely indecipherable to him.

Enough was enough though, Itachi's mind had become too opaque with fatigue. To his left he could see the sleeping bodies of Kisame and Asaya. Kisame gave an unpleasant snore every so often, but Asaya was completely silent, like an infant. It disturbed him, the same way a dead cow would.

As Itachi leaned his head back against the wall, a blanket of fatigue covered him. His hand dropped to the side, map falling out of his grasp. Every muscle in his body cried out its own ache. How long had he been awake? Almost three days, he'd guessed. As he closed his eyes, he concentrated on the tenderness racking his body. How good it felt to finally be able to rest and soften those muscles back up. Heavy eyelashes swelled with weight and refused to flutter back open. But it was fine; Itachi could indulge in a few more moments of….

* * *

><p>A pair of feminine lashes shuddered awake. The eyes hiding behind them remained unfocused and translucent before they realized something; sleeping with a rock protruding into your solar plexus is rather uncomfortable.<p>

Asaya shifted herself up and into a sitting position. She folded her torso foreword and extended her arms out in front of her. Amazingly, despite that one rock, she felt very refreshed. Her spine felt nice and stretched, her lungs were opened, and her head was bestowed with a wonderful clarity.

Those same eyes blinked a few more times as they adjusted to the light. It was dim, but Asaya could see the sleeping bodies of Itachi and Kisame. It was strange that they would fall asleep on the job, but she supposed it wasn't too unreasonable. As long as they were underground she was trapped with them, as they were the only guide out.

A clinking sound invaded her ears. In his sleep Kisame stretched out one of his legs and knocked over the lantern.

She snapped her eyes at the abominable blue man. _Bastard_.

Oh well, what state was the other one in? Itachi was sleeping quite exhaustedly. Even through the draping form of his cloak she could see how heavily he breathed. Now that Asaya thought about it, she had never once seen Itachi sleep in all three days of travel. She almost felt sorry for him. It appeared that he was in a deep sleep too. He must have stayed awake for some time reading the map sitting at his side…

_How serendipitous, _she thought. Asaya now found herself with a lamp, a map, and two idiots.

* * *

><p>Maybe I will get the next pert of this up... -_-;<p>

And thank you to everyone who helped me finish this!


	5. Serendipity II

Luridly Itachi awoke from his sleep. Had he fallen asleep? He immediately chastised himself for falling asleep while on guard. This was a rookie mistake, and he demanded much greater self control.

Only the barest speck of orange glow could be seen from the remains of the fire he had made earlier. Itachi reached to his right, grabbed another couple chunks of wood from the ruined alter, then got up and added it to the fire pit that he rekindled with his jutsu. He blinked a few times while his eyes adjusted to the new light.

Kisame snored quietly ahead of him against the wall of the enclosure. Wheezing may have been a more fitting verb. No matter, he would soon put an end to it. Itachi rose up and stood adjacent to his partner. "Kisame." He said sternly.

"Huh, what?" Kisame said, somewhat alarmed now that he had been awoken.

"Light the lamp and wake the girl, it's time to keep moving." After speaking Itachi turned to walk down the one of the tunnels.

With a grunt Kisame stood up and stretched out his arms to their full wingspan, then rotated them from the shoulders both back and forth. The rough of the cave wall had done terrible things to his back. Cracking his neck from side to side, he wondered if this was the beginning of middle age setting in. He turned to where he had last seen the dead cow sleeping.

Kisame blinked twice, but otherwise not a single muscle in his face moved. "Itachi."

"Yes?" Itachi turned his head over his shoulder to see Kisame looking at an empty spot on the ground behind them.

Simultaneously Itachi's chest expanded, eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched.

"She can't have gotten far without a lantern. We will probably find her sniveling in the dark if we go back the way we came." Kisame said in an even tone, the same pensive expression on his face. As he reached down to grab his lantern, he quickly realized it wasn't there. "Damnit!" he harshly said between clenched teeth. "That little bitch…!"

Itachi still remained level headed. She would have most likely tried to go back the way they came, doing her best to rely on memory for the exit. Only he had a map and….

Hands diving into his pockets, Itachi's hands both turned up empty.

* * *

><p>A kaleidoscope of light wavered across the cavern walls as Asaya leapt down the pathway, quickly and quietly trying to put as much distance between her and her abductors as possible. She couldn't have been running for more than fifteen minutes, but in that time she had covered quite a bit of ground. This had been the second time she had escaped from them, and hopefully the last time she would need to. <em>What idiots, <em>Asaya thought as she kept running. The first time she got away she thought she was just lucky, but this time was just unexplainable. It was as if they meant to hand her the opportunity on a silver platter. Perhaps the blue oaf was easy to fool, but the other one….

He was a much more strict and self-disciplined person, much more cunning and precise. Some deity had blessed her with a minor miracle for her to get away from him. In fact, her heart still hadn't calmed down from stealing the map. The moment when she knelt down beside him to steal it she couldn't breathe and her entire body trembled.

Asaya slowed to a halt as she came to another clearing where the road split in four places. She pulled out the stolen map from her obi. Which way to go? Unlike what one might think, Asaya had gone further into the cave system, hoping to exit wherever they had originally been planning to. Her assailants couldn't possibly follow her without the map. But there was a chance that if she decided to run back the way they came, the two men would somehow remember the way back and catch her running home. Again.

There were two different paths she could follow. Both were about the same distance. One was to her far left, and it was a rather roundabout way of getting there. The other slightly to her right still wasn't a straight shot, but there were many less forks in the road. Taking a closer look at the map she noticed that a few small black diamonds were marked along that path, but the map key's ink was too worn and faded to decipher. _I guess I'll just have to find out…_

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard to tell that Itachi was unhappy with the two Akatsuki's situation. Their captive- a mere girl barely old enough to be considered a woman- had escaped them not once but twice now. The first time they had let her get away was humiliating enough. She had simply slipped away while they were looking the other way. Although they caught on relatively quick, they had to chase her for about five miles until they finally caught her. And that was only what? Two, maybe three days ago? And now, not only had she escaped again, but she had also stolen their lantern, the only map, and done it all while they slept like babies.<p>

This level of humiliation was unforgivable.

Kisame was slightly anxious at seeing the anger on his partner's face. There had only been a few times when he had seen Itachi so upset, and they all ended very badly.

Itachi thought quickly and carefully about his next move. This girl was clever, to say the least. She may have not taken the obvious option of running back the way they came. Since she had the map, if she were smart she would have chosen to go further into the cave where they had no chance of following her.

"Kisame, do you remember the way back?" Itachi asked

"No." Kisame answered.

"Wait here until I return." Itachi turned and headed deeper into the cave, pulling a lantern scroll from his sleeve.

* * *

><p>Asaya walked briskly once she had chosen her path from the five-way junction. There was no point in wasting excess energy, even thought she had plenty left. Perhaps she was being too presumptuous, but there was no way they could catch her now.<p>

After walking for a good while, the ground began to shift from solid rock with scattered pebbles, to slightly dusty and sandy. Just ahead of her, Asaya could see the walls change from their natural creviced and jagged features, to a much smoother and manmade appearance. This whole tunnel system was carved out by Iwa of course, but special attention was given to whatever was built up ahead. Perhaps it was an underground meeting room or a storage facility of some sort. That idea was entertaining. There were bound to be oodles of things to discover. It had to be an archeologist's dream.

The room was extremely large for one underground.

It wasn't all that wide, but it was very tall and long. The light of Asaya's stolen lantern, though dim, couldn't show the other end of the room. The ceiling wasn't visible either. She could see that there were rectangular hollows carved throughout the walls. Turning the lamplight up momentarily revealed two things: the ribbed barrel vault of the ceiling, which was about fourty feet up, and the wooden boxes placed in each of those hollows. And few more were scattered around the floor. This tunnel system was indeed used for underground military smuggling.

_Oh well, it's not like Iwa has the best track record for conducting perfectly legal operations, _Asaya thought.

While looking at the wonton architecture of the ceiling, Asaya's left foot stumbled. Looking down, she noticed that the object was relatively light, long, and white. It was a bone.

About a foot to her right was the complete skeleton of a dead soldier in front of her, it's skull still adorning the traditional Iwa headband.

Asaya sharply inhaled to produce a small, mouse-like squeak.

* * *

><p>Swiftly running down the cave's corridors, Itachi was glad that he had used his sharingan to memorize the map before it was stolen from him. At least he wasn't that stupid.<p>

However, he soon came to a halt as he entered a five way junction. The path had been east up till now, as each split in the road had only one path that led towards the exit, but this one had more than one way to go. The initial rush of adrenalin that surged through his system while he sprinted through the caves now washed away with the cool sense of rational he needed to decide which way to go.

There were two distinct paths that would lead him towards the exit. But which way to go? Unfortunately, there were no clues as to which way she had went. The floor was solid stone, so there were no footprints, and not even a pebble was kicked out of place. Not even his sharingan could find a single detail. Only solid, undisturbed stone stood all around him. This girl was good.

There was a fifty/fifty shot no matter which way he went- odds he wasn't comfortable with. But even if he went down the wrong one, there was a chance that he could race her to the end of the tunnel and ambush her at the exit, but that was assuming that he could get there first. He didn't know how far ahead of him she was. None of his options were very appealing.

Then he heard it. It was the tiniest of sounds. Itachi almost thought he didn't hear anything at all. A small, minuscule squeak came from his right. It was Mouse-like, really. But there were no animals in this tunnel- only Kisame, himself, and her.

_Fool…_

* * *

><p>A wide eyed stare now looked down onto the skeleton in a mixture of astonishment, disgust, and curiosity. Knealing down, Asaya examined the skeleton. She could tell it was male from the prominent brow on the skull. There was mummified hair delicately attached to the skull, but otherwise there were no preserved tissues; they had naturally rotted away years ago. More interestingly, the man was wearing an extremely old uniform. It was made of traditional plated armor and hand woven fabrics. This man was from the First Shinobi War.<p>

_Holy crap…! _Asaya thought.

Just few yards behind the armored skeleton were dozens of others lined up against the wall. Even more were stuffed into the nooks and crannies carved into the walls. They were everywhere.

"Catacombs…" She whispered.

So this was what had been hidden down here: the countless dead bodies of soldiers who fought in the first war. And some of the skeletons looked even older.

Asaya's eyes shifted erratically while the horror seeped in. The room now seemed half as big as it used to be.

She turned around and walked backwards into the cave. She was both amazed and horrified at the same time. On one hand this was a mass grave filled with the remains of the dead, but on the other it was possibly the most important historical find of the decade! This place had been abandoned and left untouched for generations.

So many questions filled her head. What was this tunnel system actually used for? How old was it? Who originally built it? Why were these bodies collected here, instead of being burned or destroyed like usual? Why was this place abandoned and forgotten?

And most importantly, _how did those men know about this place? _Something was very, very wrong here.

Asaya was dumbstruck.

Then she saw something far more terrifying: a very feint light flickered from the tunnel she had just come from. It was small, like that of a firefly. Asaya almost couldn't believe it, but she knew what she saw.

"No way…!" The words came out as broken and cold as her breath.

They had followed her. Her kidnappers had somehow managed to follow her despite impossible odds. Panic now squeezed her heart and lungs in its painful grip. She had to hide. There was no way to outrun them in the catacombs. They could probably see the light from her lamp just as well as they could see theirs.

Quickly she searched the room. The boxes- coffins- throughout the room were the only real places to hide. But they were far too obvious. Hiding there would have been like a child playing hide and seek. Asaya ran further into the room, scanning the walls for anyplace to take cover. She spotted a tiny hole in the wall barely large enough for her to fit through. Desperately she crawled in as far she could on her hands and knees, and then curled into a tight ball. She turned off her lantern, hid her chakara, and silently began to pray.

* * *

><p>Itachi knew she was close when he saw a dim light ahead of him. There was no other possible explanation. When the light went out he realized that she must have spotted him too.<p>

Now that he knew where his prey was, he ran even faster. There was no way he would let her get away now; she had to pay.

When he came to the entrance of the catacomb he halted. Though it was hard for him to see his surroundings, he knew exactly what this room was and what was in it. Sure, it was quite an astounding find, but Itachi did not have the time or desire to play archeologist.

_She must be hiding, _Itachi thought. If she were still running he would have been able to see her lantern's light.

The red of sharingan overlaid the normal black of his eyes. He would be able to see her chakara clear as day no matter where she hid.

Itachi walked slowly- leisurely almost- down the cave. Like a black panther his footsteps were calm, precise, and powerful.

From the corner of his left eye he spotted her. She had a soft, pale lilac color to her chakara. As he stepped closer to where she was hiding in the wall he could see her timid body shivering with fear. Her ability to hide her chakara was flawless, but like every opponent, she was no match for the power of sharingan.

He knelt down in front of her mouse hole and looked inside.

* * *

><p>Asaya could hear her heart beating in her temples; feel the blood pulse through her carotid arteries. Trembling hands covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her breath.<p>

Through the drumming in her ears, she could hear him as he walked. The sound of his footsteps crunching the rock felt like sandpaper scratching her eardrums. Then she heard him stop, then take exactly six steps towards her, each step louder than the last.

_No, no, no, no, no, no...! _She shook her head in disbelief.

She stared at the entrance to the hole she climbed in. Tears poured from her eyes as she saw a pair of legs kneel down and a face appeared. It was the face of the younger one, but his eyes were red, not black like she remembered. That was all she saw before everything went black.

Asaya suddenly found herself in an entirely different situation than she was just in. She was recumbent on her back in complete darkness. Reaching out her hands, she realized that she was in a wooden crate, just like the ones in the catacomb.

"You should have known better than to try and run." The voice of the young man spoke from obscurity.

"What?! What is this? What are you doing?!" Asaya screamed back at him. She began to kick and thrash about in the box, trying to get out.

"Stop it! Let me go!" She cried.

She shut up as soon as she felt water pouring in from all around her, pooling at her back.

"No! Stop it! Stop!"

There was no reply, but the water kept pouring in. She clawed fervently at the box. If she didn't get out she knew she was going to drown. The water slowly rose above her ears and squelched the sound of her own screams. She lifted her head to breathe and begged one last time.

"Let me out! Please!"

There was still no reply, and the water now smothered her face. Her fingers bruised and bled as her fingernails ripped off, but she kept clawing. The air in her lungs quickly became stale in her state of panic. She tried to hold it in, but soon instinct forced her to exhale and then inhale water. Franticly she kept breathing water in and out, each time choking and convulsing painfully. Her lungs burned due to oxygen deprivation and she began to feel light headed.

Eventually, she stopped breathing and moving altogether as she passed out.

* * *

><p>Once the girl passed out from his mangekyo sharingan, Itachi reached in and pulled her out. As soon as she was out and lying on her back he noticed that she wasn't breathing and her heart wasn't beating. This was an uncommon side effect of his genjutsu; victim's minds would think that they had actually died and would subsequently stop basic functions. Under normal circumstances Itachi would have let her die- gladly at that. But for this exception he was instructed to keep her alive and unharmed. Mostly unharmed, at least.<p>

Her chakara signature was fading fast. If he wanted to save her, he would have to act now.

Unfortunately, healing techniques were not his specialty, so his rudimentary medical knowledge would have to do. Raising his right hand in a fist, he slammed it down on her heart.

It didn't work.

Itachi tried again. This time she sharply inhaled and coughed out, but still remained unconscious. He could see her chakara and vital signs returning to normal.

A cool sense of relief swept over his brow. If she had died he would have been in more trouble than if she escaped, especially since he would have been her cause of death.

Itachi grabbed the map that she stuffed in her obi then put it in his pocket. He didn't really need it, but she wasn't allowed to have it. He then picked up her unconscious body and carried it over his shoulder while he headed back towards Kisame.

Itachi did have to admit that he felt much better now that this episode was over.

* * *

><p>Kisame quietly sat cross-legged while he waited for Itachi to return. At first he had been waiting for his partner to return, but now the anxiety was setting in.<p>

"Man, what if Itachi got lost?" Kisame thought out loud.

If Itachi never came back for him, what was he supposed to do?

Kisame looked back into the cave in the direction they entered from. If he got lost trying to get out by himself, he was screwed.

"Kisame." Itachi said from behind him.

Kisame looked behind him to see Itachi standing with the girl limply draped over his shoulder like a dead cow.

"Let's go." He said, then turned and walked away.

Kisame stood up and followed behind his partner. Though he had many, he wouldn't dare ask questions.

* * *

><p>AN: I may add another little section to this in a little bit. Also, a big thank you to my editor for this chapter!


	6. Good Intent

So, this chapter takes place before chapters 1 and 2, but after 3, 4, and 5. If you have any questions regarding what may seem like a plot hole or continuity error due to the fact that chapters are out of order and weird like that, please ask. Or you could drop a line in a review, just sayin'.

And as always, a big thanks to Plastic Cuffs. If you like this story, you should read hers.

* * *

><p>Asaya heaved her chest in what must have been the millionth sigh since the beginning of her "journey." How long had she been traveling? About three weeks was her best guess, but in truth she had lost all sense of time. Neither of her traveling "companions" did either, so the individuality of each day had lost significance. The only way for her to keep track of time was on the rare occasions like today when they were at a place with a calendar.<p>

Now, like often, she was sitting on a bench outside of a traveler's stop somewhere in Water Country. Beside her, Kisame stood in monolithic silence. The silence was ok as far as Asaya was concerned, because he didn't make for good conversation. Or even decent conversation, for that matter. The third member of their party, Uchiha Itachi, was occupied elsewhere. He was in the town a few miles down the road completing an assassination mission he received two days earlier. He had instructed Kisame to watch Asaya at the stop because it allowed him to work more efficiently, and it prevented Asaya from making a public scene; again.

A young girl, about sixteen years old, came out of the door Asaya sat next to carrying a small tray with a cup of tea and a little plate of tea cookies. Asaya politely thanked the girl for bringing her the snacks she ordered earlier, then the girl and went back inside. Asaya had noticed the girl wore a plain, light blue kimono with a yellow obi. It was in the traditional tea house style- solid color with no embellishments- but she envied how clean and well kept the girl's clothes were. In stark contrast, Asaya's kimono top had become faded, wrinkled, and dirty. It used to be a deep magenta color, with a maple leaf pattern around the hem and left shoulder, and her obi had been bright orange; this was no longer the case. Her standard black pants had gained a tear or two as well. Oddly, her shoes were still in great shape, but they were of military quality unlike the rest of her outfit. Asaya now felt horribly embarrassed about her clothes.

As she ate a cookie, Asaya noticed Kisame critically staring at her. She began to chew slowly with satisfaction.

Only a few minutes passed before Kisame grabbed Samehada from where it rested against the wall and lurched it onto his back. Asaya looked at him and realized what it meant. Itachi was now coming up the road he had departed from.

Without stopping, Itachi walked passed them and said "Let's go."

A few miles down the road, the three walked in dull silence. But Asaya began to grow nervous, _Do they not realize…? _She thought. Itachi and Kisame both stopped in front of her and she almost walked into them.

"Halt!" A male voice shouted from behind them.

They all turned around. "You are under arrest for the assassination of Lord Fujiwara!" Shouted a middle aged man wearing a Kirigakure hatai-ate. He was accompanied by two younger men, both about 25 years old. It was evident that the two were his pupils. It was also easy to see from their appearances that they were twins. Overall, they seemed strong, but no one thought they would be a threat. Itachi, Kisame, and Asaya all raised the same disinterested eyebrow.

One of them nudged the other, and said "Hey, that one's Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsman. And that's Uchiha Itachi." The second one then asked "Then who's the girl, brother?"

"I don't know."

"Hush, boys. We'll find out soon." Their sensei cut them off. He took out two long kunai, and the boys armed themselves each with a wakizashi.

Kisame proudly took Samehada from his back. "And I thought I wasn't going to see any bloodshed today. How fortunate for me. Eh, Itachi-san?"

Itachi didn't reply, but instead unbuttoned his cloak half way and rested his left arm on the opening. He was determined to end this swiftly.

Asaya quickly realized that she was the only one without a weapon. _Well, fuck… _She thought.

The older man was the first to move as he lunged towards Kisame. Kisame immediately lunged back, swinging Samehada wildly over his head.

The twins made for Itachi and Asaya. Itachi was unfazed, and easily caught one in a simple genjutsu. The boy stood still with a lackluster gaze. It was too easy, really.

Asaya, on the other hand, had no particular desire to fight empty handed. Or at all, really. She opted to turn and run in the other direction.

Itachi was about to finish his opponent when he saw Asaya and the other brother run off. _Damn, _he thought. He couldn't let them get out of sight, so instead of killing the boy he ran after Asaya.

"Get back here!" One twin called as he ran after Asaya. She didn't stop running and performed a sequence of hand seals. She pivoted on her heal to face her attacker, and smashed both fists into the ground. The earth uplifted and parted violently beneath the twin's feet, causing him to lose balance and fall into the rubble. A cloud of dust uplifted around them and quietly settled. Asaya waited for him to get up. He didn't.

He shot up from the ground behind her like a murderous plant. Asaya turned around making another set of hand seals, but was tackled before she could finish the sequence. The boy pinned her to the ground with one hand around her neck and the raised his blade over his head. A menacing gleam targeted her in the sunlight. Reacting quickly, Asaya concentrated chakra into her fist to strike back.

Before either of them could hit, a kunai flew into the boy's sternum. Blood spattered onto Asaya's face and chest before he dropped his weapon and limply fell on top of her.

Morbidly relieved, Asaya shoved the body from off of her. She stood up and found Itachi standing in the direction she had run from. Red eyes cast a disapproving gaze on her. She didn't much care for his judgment, and instead paid more attention to the fresh stains on her clothes. Itachi could see she was obviously displeased.

Hearing quick footsteps behind him, Itachi turned around. The other twin was rushing at him. When the boy was about ten feet away, he leapt into the air with his sword posed to strike. Despite the assault, Itachi made no motion to evade or counterattack. He had no reason to.

The boy hadn't realized that Kisame was right behind him with Samehada. In one swing, Kisame shredded the boy into pieces. Bits of flesh, blood, and organs spattered in every direction. The poor child didn't even have time to scream while it happened.

Asaya winced as she witnessed the boy being cheese greatered alive. Even as a well trained kunoichi, she still thought it was an unpleasant way to die.

"Seems this girl's more trouble than she's worth. Almost getting killed by a weakling like that." Kisame mocked.

Asaya scowled at him and wiped some blood off of her cheek. Did he not remember their first encounter?

"That would probably be why she was assigned to us." Itachi answered.

"Feh! At least we'll be meeting with the others soon. Maybe then we can dump her on them." Kisame lifted Samehada onto his back again and turned to head off. Itachi and Asaya followed behind him.

* * *

><p>It wasn't too much longer before they entered a port town. It was a small but very well kept and lively place. Life was centered on the traditional main street and town square. The shops, hotels, bars, and stalls had well kept storefronts with neatly painted signs. At the town square the ground was paved with large cobble stones and free of litter. The central focus was a small fountain that sprayed crystal clear water. Economically speaking, the town must have done well for its small size if it could afford such luxuries.<p>

As they walked through the town Asaya could see people trying to discreetly look at her; specifically at her clothing. Dried blood stains were splashed across her kimono and obi. She tried not to let it show, but it was embarrassing nonetheless.

Itachi also noticed the attention Asaya's clothing was garnering. This was a problem. "Asaya-san," he said, "get something clean to wear." He pulled a wallet from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She hesitantly took it from him and walked off into a nearby clothing store.

A bell chimed when she opened the door and walked in. "Welcome, can I help you with anything?" the attendant at the counter said. Her face quickly shifted expressions when she saw Asaya's clothing.

"Yeah, funny story," Asaya spoke with a sheepish smile on her face. "But I need some new clothes"

* * *

><p>Itachi and Kisame sat on a bench next to the fountain while they waited. They remained in sight of the shop Asaya had walked into.<p>

"Damnit, how long is this gonna take? I bet she slipped out the back." Kisame said disgruntled.

"Would you rather go in and wait on her instead?" Itachi replied.

The thought of waiting inside for that girl like a servant revolted him. Why did Itachi have to be right all the time?

Kisame changed the subject. "You know, she's been with us a long time now, too long. And Leader still hasn't given us anymore information than we started with."

"No, but she is still important to Akatsuki somehow."

"Yeah, and how's that? She's just a regular weakling as far as I can tell."

"She is stronger than she is letting us know. Do you remember when you first met her?"

Kisame grumbled. "That was only because I couldn't kill her. But since you know so much, why do you think she's still here?"

Itachi thought for a moment. "There are a few possibilities. I first thought she was a daughter of an influential family we were holding for ransom, but it's not our policy to keep hostages for this long. My best guess is that she either knows something secret or has a specific skill that we need. She's definitely not a potential recruit because she lacks-" Itachi had to think for a moment before finding the right words "-the necessary qualities of character."

Kisame smirked. "'Necessary qualities of character?'"

"You know what I mean."

Itachi saw Asaya finally walk out of the shop dressed in an entirely new outfit: standard navy blue pants, a grey tank top, and a plum sweat jacket. It was much more suitable than the semi-formal clothes she had before. She turned her head in both directions before she spotted them and walked over. When she reunited with them she returned Itachi's wallet with two hands. "Thank you." she said again.

"Looks like you didn't run away again. What a good girl." Kisame said as he stood up.

Itachi saw her glare at him from the corner of her eye. He put the wallet back in his pocket, stood up, and walked toward the docks.

At the entrance to the docks there was a large sign displaying the arrival and departure schedule of each boat for the day. The main function of the ports seemed to be to redistribute merchant goods from one ship to another, so the schedule was full. Of the many destination names written, Asaya wondered which one they were going to. The two Akatsuki seemed to always know exactly where they needed to go without prompting. Not that they ever had much in the way of conversation anyway, but they never even seemed to discuss travel plans. Although in all fairness, Asaya never paid much attention to the few conversations they did have, so maybe she was just oblivious.

Itachi scaned the board and noticed that their ship was scheduled to leave in ten minutes. "Our boat is leaving soon, let's go." He said to Kisame.

_Seriously, what the fuck is happening? _Asaya thought as she followed after them.

The sailor at the gate of the ferry was a gruff, middle aged man wearing a clean but patched uniform. He had a lit cigarette in one hand.

"We need passage for three to Umishi Town." Itachi said to the sailor.

The man looked at them quizzically. They were an odd group, after all. He took a drag of his cigarette and said "Sorry, but there's only room for two. You'll have to wait for tomorrow." Appropriately, the sound of his voice was low and abrasive.

Kisame spoke up. "You go ahead. I'll catch up with you where we'll meet the others." Itachi nodded in understanding before Kisame turned and walked off.

Itachi then paid the sailor the fee for him and Asaya and they boarded.

* * *

><p>The boat ride had so far been slow and uneventful, but Asaya guessed that she hadn't expected much anyway. A boat was just a boat and the sea was just the sea to her. But this was definitely an ugly boat. The grain of the wood was splintered and cracked. The deck was slimy and in some places she could hear her shoes peel off the floor as she walked. The entire crew was made up of burly men with sweat stains all over their clothes. This boat was the personification of a toothless, scaly-skinned, wretched, old fisherman.<p>

The worst part was the cargo she and Itachi were sitting next to; fish. Fish were the most despicable creatures. Their jaws gaped open with the glassy eyed look of death and their scales perspired an oily sheen as they baked in the sun. Asaya couldn't stop fidgeting with the cuffs of her new, purple sweat jacket.

Itachi watched her antics for a while before he finally asked, "Is something bothering you?"

"I hate fish. And boats. And the ocean." Asaya said.

"Does this scare you then?" Considering there were no oceans in Earth Country, this was probably new experience to her.

"Somewhat. I'm not fond of water in general." She replied honestly.

Itachi briefly remembered the time he used Tsukuyomi on her.

"May I ask you a question?"

Itachi looked at her.

Asaya guessed she had approval and said "If Hoshigaki-san is so shark like, than why doesn't he just swim across instead of waiting till tomorrow?"

"That was the plan." He said curtly.

"Oh…" She felt stupid for asking. It should have been obvious, but how was she to know? Her hands went back to playing with her sleeves and she shamefully stared at her feet.

Itachi realized something; if she hadn't ever traveled far from her village before, than she may have never sailed before. "Have you ever sailed before?"

Asaya shook her head. "Not like this. I've crossed some rivers and lakes before, but I'd never even seen the ocean before we came here."

Itachi supposed that it wasn't unreasonable that a normal girl would be afraid the first time she crossed the ocean, but she was a kunoichi. She should be braver than that. "Can you swim?"

A delicate eyebrow twitched. Asaya was somewhat insulted by his question. "Yes. Forgive me for not having the same travel experience you do."

Looking back at the sea, Itachi saw dark clouds looming in the direction they were headed. An ominous breeze flew past them.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached harbor, it was fervently raining. A huge storm was moving in fast. Waves had already begun to slam against the boat and knock crates over. The sailors and boatmen aggressively shouted at one another as they ran around the boat like crazed ants trying to unload the ship and secure it to the dock.<p>

Itachi and Asaya ran off the boat and up the street into the nearest inn fast as they could. By the time they reached the door they were soaked. Itachi took off his jacket and Asaya wrung out her hair before they went in.

The inside was surprisingly attractive. The tables and chairs were made of polished dark wood, an array of ornate glass liquor bottles were displayed behind the bar, and the floor was polished and clean. Over the bar, there was a sign that read "Sawdust"- presumably the establishment's name. This was probably the nicest inn they had stayed at.

"Welcome, what can I help you with?" An older man said when they walked in. He must have been the owner.

"I need one room with two beds for the night." Itachi answered.

"Yes sir." The man called to a worker across the room. "Hachiro, show our customers a room upstairs."

A teenage boy came over to them and bowed politely. "Please follow me."

The room he took them to was as nice as downstairs. It had fluffy pillows, soft bed sheets, and a copy of Hokusai's _The Great Wave _hung on the wall_. _"If you need anything, please ask." The young man bowed and went back downstairs.

Itachi hung his coat on the rack and walked over to the window displeased. Outside the storm raged on as if Susanno himself were fighting a wicked demon. Kisame would probably continue through it without incident, but neither of them were hulking fish creatures. Now they were set behind another half day. He turned and looked at Asaya sitting on the bed closest to the door. She had grabbed a lock of her long hair and begun braiding it.

Asaya gently ground her teeth in her mouth as she sat in silence. Awkward silence. It was only 5 in the afternoon so it was too early to just go to sleep, unless she wanted to wake up at 2 am and remain tired for the rest of the day. And she couldn't strike up a conversation with Itachi to pass the time. He obviously wasn't one for idle chatter. During times like this she had no idea how to behave.

"If you have something to say, you are more than capable of saying it. Don't be so anxious." Asaya looked up at Itachi as he said it. A flash of lightning illuminated his face briefly.

Asaya swallowed. "It is just that you and Hoshigaki-san are always so implicit that I don't know what is going on, or what to do with myself."

There was an odd irony in what she said. Truthfully, he didn't know what was going on or how he should deal with her either. He was probably just as tired of the awkwardness as she was. "Don't be. I told you when we were in Sapporo that you would remain unharmed while you were with me."

Asaya could almost laugh. "And how long will that be?"

"I don't know." Anticipating her, he said, "Worrying about it will not make a difference. My advice would be to get used to it."

"The fact that you are most likely going to kill me is not what bothers me."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her words. What a noble thing for a ninja to say.

"What bothers me is the deafening silence that seems so common between you two. It seems uncustomary for traveling companions, is all."

'Companions' may not have been the best word to describe Kisame and Itachi's affiliation, but he supposed there wasn't really another word to use. "You will get used to the silence; think of it as 'customary.'"

Small fingers gently unraveled the braid they had just finished tying, only to grab another lock of hair and begin the same process again. "Tell me, part of the reason you remain quiet is because you don't want me to learn things that might be… strictly confidential?"

"Yes, but that's normal for any hostage situation."

"If I am a hostage, then whom are you trying to bribe?"

Itachi cursed himself for using those words carelessly. "I don't actually know if you're a hostage or not. I was merely elaborating a point."

She looked at him skeptically.

"When I do find out why you are here, I will tell you. There would be no point in hiding it from you. For now stop worrying about it." He said.

Then what else was she supposed to do? Think nothing? What he said frustrated her somewhat, but she decided to stop pressing the matter. But secretly, she wasn't so concerned with learning about them so much as she wondered what they knew about her.

She looked at him as he looked back out the window. His arms were crossed and his weight was shifted onto one leg in a contrapposto stance. There was a pensive atmosphere around him. He wasn't wearing the high-collared coat or hat so she could clearly see his face for once. The three-quarter profile she could see revealed that he had clean features. The bridge of his nose was straight and proportionate. His cheekbones were high but not so much as to make his cheeks look sunken in. The cleanly defined angle of his jaw and chin was probably the nicest she had ever seen. Even the conformation of his neck and collar bones was attractive.

He was handsome.

Asaya's hands stopped moving. Embarrassment rushed hot blood into the skin of her cheeks and she bit the inside of her lip. That wasn't an appropriate thing to be thinking about.

Now uncomfortably looking at her lap, Asaya said, "Earlier, Hoshigaki-san said that we would be meeting with others soon. Who are they?"

"They are two other members of Akatsuki. You don't need to know more." Really, it wouldn't do any harm if he told her; he just didn't feel like talking in general. Anyway, she would see for herself what they were like in another day or so.

It was starting to become very uncomfortable being alone in a room with her. "You may go downstairs and entertain yourself if you wish, but do not leave this building." Itachi was commanding her to leave more than he was giving her the option.

Asaya didn't hesitate to take the offer though, and she quickly got up, slipped her shoes on at the door, and closed it quietly behind her.

Itachi took a deep breath as soon as she was gone. Not that he necessarily disliked her, but he didn't feel like he had any real reason to deal with her more than he had to. A hand combed through his bangs as he walked back to the table in the middle of the room.

_Why her?_ It still baffled him. She was just a normal girl with no particular talents- other than running away. But there had to be _something._ He did notice that she was very well spoken and formally mannered. Maybe she really was a member of an influential family being held hostage. But then why wouldn't Pein have told him? There had to be something they weren't telling him, and not knowing it was a constant thorn in his side. He had even requested Zetsu ask Pein for more information a few times already, but still nothing. Were they just doing this to mock him?

Then it hit him like a frying pan to the face; why not just ask her? If she had some reason to be kidnapped, then she would know it. And this was the perfect time to question her now that Kisame wasn't around to get in the way.

Itachi decided that he would do exactly that later. For now, he would enjoy the luxury of being alone. He untied his hitai-ate and took his shirt off, then folded them on the table. His hands reached down and unzipped his pants as he walked toward the bathroom door.

* * *

><p>Asaya couldn't have been more relieved the moment she walked out the door and down the stairs. It was a blessing to say the least.<p>

On the main floor of the building, there were only a handful of customers. There were about three people at the bar. Two of them were old men drinking beer, and the third was a fisherman drinking sake. At the tables there was a pair of young women eating oyster shells. Presumably, all these people were stuck here because they weren't able to make it home before the storm blew in.

A bright flash of light dispersed throughout the room momentarily, immediately followed by an earsplitting thunderclap. A second later the lights went out.

A few moans and groans leapt from the mouths of the people in the room. Because it wasn't too late in the afternoon, enough natural light filled the room to allow everyone to see, despite the storm clouds covering the sun. The owner and his waiters all pulled out old fashioned candles and lamps to replace the modern light bulbs.

When the owner saw Asaya standing at the bottom of the stairs he said, "Take a seat, we'll be with you shortly."

She sat down at a two person table by the front window. It wasn't too long before a waiter came by to take her order. "Can I get you anything?" He asked her.

"Just some tea, please."

"Sure, any particular kind?"

She was a bit unprepared for that question. Usually when she asked for tea the waiter only brought back whatever the kitchen had on hand. "Um, plain black tea."

"OK, one moment please."

Asaya politely smiled in appreciation and he went back to the kitchen. She took a deep breath and looked out the window. It really was raining badly. There was nothing like this in Iwa because the high mountain elevation kept the heavy rainclouds from reaching the village. She did remember the long rain showers that would fall in the glacial valley she grew up in, but they were like comparing a kitten to a lion.

As bad as this storm was, she couldn't help but contemplate escaping again. It would be so easy, too. The rain and wind would completely cover her tracks, and Itachi had been stupid enough to let her out of his sight. She rested her head in one hand and bit her lip as she looked out the window, contemplating her options.

The waiter came back and interrupted her silence. He placed a porcelain teacup and saucer before her. Asaya admired the dark hue of the tea momentarily before she thanked him.

"If you don't mind me asking," the waiter said, "where is your brother? Er… he is your brother, right?"

Asaya didn't know how she should respond to the question, but she decided to go with the assumption that they were siblings. "Yeah, he is upstairs resting. We've been on the road for a while." Really she had no idea what he was doing. He could be upstairs skinning a cat alive for all she knew.

"Really? Where did you come from?"

Another question she wasn't sure how to answer. "Um, well I guess we came from Lightning Country last week." It was actually true. They had traveled through Lightning Country to get to where they were now.

"Wow, that's a long way to travel from here. Do you live there?"

"Yeah."

"You sure? You're not by any chance from Iwa are you, hmm?"

Asaya stared at him wide eyed. The "hmm" at the end of his sentence was unmistakably part of an accent specific to Iwagakure. "Who are you?" She asked cautiously.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then. Relax, yeah. I'm not a bad guy. Mind if I sit?"

He sat down before Asaya could tell him otherwise.

He was a young man only a few years older than her, with dark brown hair and eyes. "My name is Densho. And your name is Asaya, right?" He lowered his voice to just above a whisper. The howling winds outside effectively kept anyone except her from hearing him. "I'm a spy from Iwa, yeah. A while ago we all got messages saying that a girl matching your description mysteriously went missing. It was kind of a high priority thing. So what happened, hm?"

Asaya couldn't believe it. This was probably the greatest coincidence in the history of mankind. "I've been kidnapped by the man I came in with and another who isn't here at the moment. Their names are Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, and they are part of a terrorist organization named Akatsuki."

Densho looked at her in complete disbelief. "Are you kidding me?!" He said in a harsh whisper. "That's _the _Uchiha Itachi? _And _you've been kidnapped by Akatsuki? Man, my team leader is gonna flip when he hears this, yeah."

Slender eyebrows wrinkled together in curiosity. "Why? Who are these people?"

"You don't know who they are? Akatsuki is on a need-to-know basis, but Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame are infamous S-class criminals, yeah. They're in just about every Bingo book you could find, un."

Asaya had to confess that she never really read her Bingo book. She only opened it if she needed to look up something specific. The missions she did go on weren't the type that required her to have general knowledge about dangerous missing-nin, and most of the time she just worked at a desk or trained and studied. Hers was not a usually a very exciting lifestyle.

But the phrase "need-to-know basis" made Asaya curious as to why she hadn't heard of Akatsuki despite working directly under the Tsuchikage. Even though she was mostly a glorified secretary, she still knew a lot of top secret information. So why not this?

"Oi, Densho! Get back to work!" The owner shouted from the bar.

"Sorry, gotta go. I'll be back in a bit, hm."

Before he could go, Asaya said, "Wait, could I ask you for a pen and some paper?"

Densho pulled a pen and a small notepad from his apron and handed them to her. "This work?"

"Yes, thanks."

He hurried back to the kitchen.

Asaya uncapped the pen and began writing two letters. One was to the Tsuchikage and her Sensei detailing all she knew about what had happened and what she knew about the Akatsuki, and the other was to a personal friend.

_Dear Tsuta, _

_I hope you will be glad to know that I'm alive and mostly well. I also hope you are faring well without me._

Asaya rolled her eyes at the two sentences she had just written. Tsuta would mock her for sounding so pretentious.

_In case you were wondering, I was kidnapped while I was visiting the monastery by two men named Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. They are part of a criminal organization called "Akatsuki." Do not question your grandfather about Akatsuki under any circumstance- that knowledge is highly classified. Information on the two men can be found in any Bingo book. As this letter is being written, I am in Umishi Town, somewhere in Water Country. Specifically, I am at an inn named Sawdust. I can't say where they are taking me or why, but for now I am relatively safe. Do not worry, I promise to be home soon. _

_Take care,_

_Asaya_

When she finished writing she folded up the letters neatly and wrote the appropriate addresses on the back. She also placed a seal on them to prevent anyone unwanted from reading them.

Densho came back with a small teapot and refilled her cup before sitting down. "Listen," he said, "the message said that we were supposed to take you back home if we found you. I think I can sneak you back if-"

"No." Asaya shook her head and interrupted him. "These men are far too strong. Here," she slid the two letters to him, "take these and send them home as soon as possible. There isn't much else we can do."

"You sure? I'm in ANBU, ya know."

"Believe me; even Tsuchikage-sama would be hard pressed against that guy."

Densho took the letters and put them in his pocket. He gave in to her warning and said, "Fine, but be careful, yeah. I'll let everyone know that you were spotted here with him. And that you haven't gone rouge, hm."

"Thank you." She said with an honest smile.

"No problem. Just take care of yourself, 'kay. It'd be a shame if a pretty face like yours were bruised, un."

Asaya blinked. This seemed like a slightly odd time to make that sort of comment. Did he mean anything by what he said or was he just being casual?

"Anyway, if you need anything else I'll be here." He got up and left again.

She took a sip of tea and looked out the window. The storm was not getting better. _How the hell long do these things last?!_

* * *

><p>After Asaya had left, Itachi had used the time alone as an opportunity to take a shower. He walked back into the main room in his pants with his hair loose around his shoulders. There was a towel in his left hand. Sitting down at the table, he used the towel to dry his hair. When it was as dry as it would get he combed his fingers through and once again put it in a low pony tail. Then he put his shirt back on and sat back in the chair. He put his right elbow on the table, rested his head in his hand, and stared at the door.<p>

He knew he should go and retrieve Asaya so he could question her, but he also had to admit he didn't really want to have to be around her anymore than he did. But he did have all night, right? He could easily leave her down there for some time more while he relaxed by himself for once.

* * *

><p>The storm still raged on, but by now it stopped bothering her. The sun had long since set and only thick blackness pressed itself up against the windowpane. Deafening rain decanted from the sky in volumes she could only guess at. Occasionally, lightning would flash and brilliantly illumine the street outside for a split second before it was chased it away by a crack of thunder<p>

Asaya sat relaxed as she looked out the window. Her feet were propped up on the empty seat across from her and she sat back while leaning her head and shoulder against the window. On the table stood a small candle that flickered and cast her reflection on the glass. In her lap she held a warm teacup. The heat radiated into her hands and dispersed throughout her whole body. She was completely caught up in the storm's intensity. Her eyes had ceased focusing. Instead she only listened to and felt the pelting droplets and cries of power.

When Densho came back he refilled her drink. "You really like this stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah…" She said shyly. _You have no idea. _She thought.

"It's quite a storm out there, huh? Nothing like it back home."

"How do they last this long? I would think the sky would run out of water by now."

"Well, this is what's called a 'tropical storm." It's basically one step below a hurricane, hn. They don't call it Water Country for nothing, yeah."

She put her feet on the floor and sat up straight when he sat across from her again. He noticed her posture and said, "Relax, no need to be so formal, yeah. We're fellow shinobi from Iwa, remember?"

Asaya supposed it was the social custom in Iwa for shinobi to be friendly with each other, so she slouched her shoulders a bit.

"So tell me," He said, "what is it like traveling with them, huh?"

Asaya spoke with a mildly disgusted look on her face. "I suppose it isn't as bad as it could be, but it's still unbearable most of the time. "

"Have they- you know?" he hesitantly asked.

She blinked a few times before she understood what he was implying. "No, nothing like that." She reassured him.

"Sorry, it's just I have to ask these things, ya know. So I can write a report." He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile on his face.

Asaya awkwardly returned the smile. "I understand. Most of the time I just sit around with one of them while the other goes off and does… whatever they do. I don't exactly know."

"I see. Seems kinda weird, hm. Do you know why they took you?"

She shook her head. "No. And they don't know either. They were just following orders from whomever their leader is."

"Weird, un…"

"Densho!" The owner shouted at him again. "Quit harassing the customers!"

He was about to get up when Asaya said, "He's not bothering me, I promise!"

The owner seemed skeptical, but he let it go.

"So tell me," she said to Densho, "how long have you been stationed here?"

They talked for a while more, mostly about the differences between the Water and Earth countries, but also about small, trivial things like their favorite restaurants back home.

* * *

><p>From the corner of her eye Asaya saw Itachi standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her. Once they established eye contact, Itachi signaled for her to follow him back upstairs.<p>

"Sorry, I have to go. I was nice talking to you though." She said to Densho.

"Mutual. Best of luck, yeah."

"Thanks, you too." She was disappointed she had to go. It had been refreshing to talk to someone normal for a change.

Anxiety creeped its way into her stomach while she walked back to the hotel room. What did he want with her? There was a large three-wick candle burning ominously on the table. One wick crackled and flickered. Itachi watched as Asaya winced at the noise. She looked like a scared little rabbit to him. Good.

Itachi stretched out an upward palm towards the bed. "Sit." he commanded. She obeyed and sat on the foot of the bed with an upright back, hands in her lap, and one ankle tucked behind the other. Itachi pulled out a chair from the table and sat facing her, his back towards the window. He leaned forward with his forearms bracing against his thighs. Momentarily he studied her posture. It was the same nervous, lady-like way she always sat. He looked her dead in the eye, but she cast her face and eyes to the floor. Looking away seemed to be her nervous habit.

"What were you talking about with the man downstairs?"

Asaya knew the question was coming. Her chest vacuum sealed but she knew she had to talk. "The weather, mostly." Fortunately she had an answer prepared ahead of time.

"And?"

"Other trivial things like food and stuff. He did ask me where we had traveled from. I told him we came from Lightning Country." It was still technically true.

"You didn't think that he would find it strange that my hitai-ate is from Konoha?"

Asaya wanted to crawl into a ball and die. He asked questions in the most silently aggressive way. _He's going to eat me alive…! _She thought desperately. "I don't think he noticed. And even if he did, it would be easy to tell you defected and no longer live there. I made the distinction that we were from Lightning country, not Kumogakure."

"Very well." It was a sound answer. Itachi then quickly asked, "Tell me again, what was your rank and position as a shinobi in Iwa?"

"I was in ANBU, in a special division called Kodama squad. I worked in torture and interrogation." Thankfully she remembered what she told him when they were in Sapporo.

"It was a lie then and it is a lie now, Kagami-san." He studied her expression while he called her on the lie. It didn't change, but she didn't respond either.

"Well?" he pressed. He believed she could have been in ANBU, though.

The intensity at which he accused her if lying punched her in the gut like a seasoned street fighter. "I worked in security." She glanced up at him briefly as she said it.

He could tell this time that she told the truth. "As a body guard or at a post?"

"Both. Why are you asking me this?" She barely squeaked out the question.

"Because I am trying to figure out why we are in this situation. Knowing more about you may provide an answer. And do not lie to me." He threatened.

It made sense to Asaya, but she had a reason to keep some information withheld.

"Who did you protect, and what post did you guard?" He asked.

"I protected one of the Tsuchikage's grandsons, a boy named Tsuta, and I guarded some archives in the basement of the main library."

"What was in these archives?"

"I don't know. They were protected by very high level seals and barriers. I have only ever seen someone go in once or twice."

This information wasn't helping Itachi at all. Akatsuki would have no use for a security guard. The standard protocol was to kill them and move on. "Do you have any special skills or abilities?" That was probably the first question he should have asked.

Asaya was afraid he would ask that. "I specialize in defense, survival, and long distance endurance." It was true but she knew it wasn't the answer he was looking for. She was training in seals and she had a hunch it was why they took her, but she wasn't going to tell him if he didn't already know.

There was something wrong with what she said. "Why would someone who works as a security guard need skills in survival?"

"Originally I trained to courier messages and things in secret, but I ended up in security because I was already protecting the boy and they needed someone to fill the position." She said the truth, but not the whole truth. At one time she did train in survival, but lack of available personnel wasn't exactly the reason she ended up in security. The real reason was because she specialized in the coveted and rare skill of seals, and she couldn't regularly be sent on missions that risked her life. That would be a waste for her village.

Itachi rested his forehead in his palms for a moment before he stood up and walked to the window, obviously frustrated. He was getting nowhere with these questions.

_How do you think I feel? _Asaya thought.

Itachi couldn't actually see anything out the window. It was dark and with the power outage there were no streetlamps on outside. There was only the occasional bolt of lightning.

"The boy that you protect, is he in danger from anything specific?"

Asaya was surprised he asked about it. "No, I'm really just a glorified babysitter."

"How old is he?" Itachi was only asking because he couldn't think of anything else.

"Thirteen."

"That seems a little old to need a babysitter."

"He is rather… delicate."

Itachi turned around to look at her again, somewhat curious.

"He has hemophilia and some dietary restrictions, stuff like that. His family just has me watch him in case an accident happens."

"How long have you done this?"

"About six years or so. I can't remember exactly."

"Are you close with him?"

"Yes, he is like a little brother to me."

"Are you familiar with the rest of the Tsuchikage's family as well?"

"Sort of. I know the entire family because I grew up working for them, but I would consider my relationship with them a professional one. I only know a few of them well."

That was interesting. If she knew the Tsuchikage's family, then maybe she knew something about them Akatsuki was after. "Who exactly are you close with?"

Asaya wasn't exactly comfortable talking about the family to a criminal, but after working for them for so long she knew how to keep her mouth shut about their personal business. "Tsuta, like I said, is the only one I would call a friend. But I also see Tsuchikage-sama regularly, and two of his other grandchildren."

That had to be it. She must be suspected of having insider knowledge that either Akatsuki needed, or some third party had paid for. Itachi watched as she began to fidget with her hands. There was a forlorn expression in her eyes. "Do you worry about him? The boy." He was guessing.

Itachi watched as a warm smile grew on her face as she remembered him. "Yes." She said.

"And what about your own family? Are they a clan of shinobi too?"

The warmth on her face vanished. "… They were."

Itachi knew what that meant. It wasn't uncommon for shinobi families to leave children orphaned. But as he thought about it, she implied that she did belong to a clan, and that they were _all _deceased. Something about that seemed suspicious to him. "Exactly what do you have for a family? Or, what _did_ you have?"

Black eyed watched as small teeth gently ground together. Her eyes fixated on the same spot on the floor they had stared at the whole time. After a moment, she said "I am what you think I am. Forgive my impertinence, but I do not see how it is any of your business, Itachi-san."

It took a second longer than usual for Itachi to fully absorb what she said. This was the first time she had openly displayed real anger with him. This new knowledge intrigued him, but he knew he would have to pursue it another time. He inhaled slowly and deeply. "You are the victim of abduction. There is no reason for you to worry about being polite."

Asaya was bemused by what he said. _Does he pity me? _She wondered.

There was a moment of tense silence before Asaya got up and walked into the bathroom. Through the door, Itachi could hear the bathwater running.

About a half hour later Asaya finally came out. She immediately went to the bed and covered herself in the sheets. She didn't bother to acknowledge Itachi sitting at the table reading a book. Instead she fell asleep as fast as she could to the sound of thunder and rain.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the weather had much improved. Sure, the ground outside was soppy and muddy, the wooden buildings were saturated with water, and the air had a pungent, moldy smell, but the sun was shining.<p>

A pair of dark lashed eyes opened slowly in the light. Itachi blinked a few times as it assaulted his eyes. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes before he looked at the clock. It read 8:04, much later than he wanted to wake up. They had somewhere to be and he knew he was going to get in trouble for keeping the other Akatsuki members waiting.

Across from him, a sleeping Asaya was curled up in the blankets while hugging her pillow. Itachi sighed and shook his head. The dreamy look on her face irritated him.

He got out of bed and quickly dressed. Then, he walked over to Asaya to wake her up, since she obviously wasn't going to do it by herself. "Asaya-san," he said.

"Mmnh…" she moaned at him and pulled the covers over her head and rolled herself away from him.

He then pressed his hand to her shoulder and shook her. "Wake up." He said firmly.

She rolled back over and stared at him with glossy, cow-like eyes before realizing there was a man standing over her. Immediately she sat up and nervously said "Morning."

"I will be downstairs checking out. Be ready to go by the time I get back." He turned and walked out the door.

Asaya fell back into the bed right after the door closed. She inhaled deeply and begrudgingly contemplated getting up. Couldn't she sleep a little longer? The warm bed sheets were so enticing. And it was so rare that she didn't have to sleep on dirt.

In the end, she knew it was better to get up now than to be sleeping when he got back. After she grabbed the jacket she left on the nightstand, she limply stood up and put it over her shoulders. _There, I'm dressed. _She thought somewhat mockingly.

Because she didn't own pajamas she slept in the same tank top and pants she had just bought, so getting dressed was easy. Thought she did need to run her fingers through her hair a few times to get the tangles out.

She sat back down on the bed. What to do now then? From the corner of her eye she spied some objects on the table. One was the sugegasa, but there was a smaller, rectangular object as well. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a book lying open and face down on the table.

_Why the hell would anyone do that?!_Asaya thought. As someone who spent a lot of time around books, it irritated her whenever someone did that because it damaged the spine.

Interestingly, this book had a white slip of paper with a series of numbers and capital letters taped on the bottom of the spine. _A library book? _What would he be doing with a library book?

She looked at it a moment while she contemplated closing it. Itachi would probably know she had touched his belonging and might become angry with her. Despite her better judgment, she picked it up anyway. When she had it in her hand she read the title; _The Human Stain. _She remembered reading it a few years back. It was a slightly odd thing for a criminal to read. Or maybe it wasn't?

But since she already had it in her hand, she also decided to sit down and read it. She would hear Itachi opening the door anyway.

* * *

><p>Itachi walked down the hallway quickly. He wanted to be gone as soon as possible. And Asaya had better be up by the time he got back.<p>

But before he was able to put his foot on the first stair down, he heard an interesting remark.

"Hey, did you see Densho talking with that girl last night?" One of the waiters said.

"Yeah, looks like they hit it off. She looks a little young for him though." Another answered.

Itachi stopped at the top of the stairs. The two waiters talking downstairs were having an intriguing conversation.

"He sure didn't seem to care. Neither did she, from what I saw."

"Man, I wish I was as smooth with the ladies as he was. Did you see her pass him that note? She must've given him her info, or something."

"No way! Did that really happen?"

"Yeah, we totally gotta ask him when he gets here. Where is he, anyway? He's always been on time."

Itachi had heard enough of the conversation and continued down the stairs. As soon as he walked into the main room, the two waiters immediately shut up, looking awkwardly at each other.

Regardless of them Itachi walked confidently over to the register where the owner was reviewing transaction records. "How can I help you?" He said.

"I would like to check out." Itachi stated plainly.

"Sure, that'll be 85,000 yen please. Is there anything else you need?"

"Do you know where your employee named Densho is?"

The owner took a breath when he heard Densho's name. "I apologize if he harassed your sister, sir. I will talk to him."

"But do you know where he is?" Itachi persisted.

"He should be here right now. But if I had to guess, he is probably headed here from the west side of town, down the main street." The man said hesitantly. He didn't want any trouble.

Itachi then paid the man and said "My sister and I will be gone by noon." before heading out the front door.

Swiftly Itachi scanned the streets from the rooftops, looking for the man he saw Asaya talking to last night. He had to find the man before it was too late.

Then he heard the footsteps behind him and stopped. Turning around, he saw the man he was looking for.

"Looking for me?" Said Densho.

Itachi took a few steps toward the man and looked him straight in the eye, red sharingan flashing. "Last night, you were given a letter. What did it say?"

"Now why would I tell you that? It might be personal." Densho pulled two shuriken from his back pocket and threw them at Itachi.

To dodge, Itachi leapt high up into the air and exhaled a fireball.

Densho quickly performed a few hand seals and created a dome of earth to protect him. He was saved from burning alive, but he could hear the sound of his shield cracking under the pressure. When the flames stopped, Densho realized that he lost track of Itachi, only to feel his feet kicked out from under him. He thought quickly and when he hit the roof, he flipped over three times to put distance between him and Itachi. Now in the corner of the roof, he readied himself for the next move.

From the other corner, Itachi asked, "You must be from Iwa like her, then. Did she have you send a message back home?"

"Heh, yeah, not that it'll do you any good to know that now. I sent the letters off by carrier hawk as soon as the storm broke. There's no way you could intercept them now." Densho said smugly.

_Damn!_ Itachi thought. Densho was right; those letters would be miles away by now. There was no way he could intercept them.

Densho hurried at him with a stone fist technique. When his fist first hit Itachi, he was thrilled that he landed a blow on the renowned criminal. But he was soon dismayed when Itachi dispersed as a flock of crows.

"A clone..?" He whispered in shock. A second later he found himself standing back in the middle of the roof with the cold steel of a kunai pressed to his throat. "Genjutsu, huh? You know, she warned me about you. Guess I should have listened, huh?"

It only took one motion for Itachi to slit the thin skin of his throat.

* * *

><p>Back in the hotel room, Asaya sat absorbed reading Itachi's book. She sat cross legged in the chair while chewing a thumbnail between her teeth. Books were always so different when read a second time.<p>

As she turned the page to a new chapter, she took a break. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She must have been reading for… Wait, what time was it? The clock on the nightstand read 9:02. That seemed odd. Itachi said that he was just going to check out, so why wasn't he back by now? There was no way checking out of a hotel took 45 minutes.

She tapped her finger on the book. Should she go look for Itachi, or stay here and wait?

As if to answer her question, the doorknob turned and Itachi opened the door. There was an incredulous look in his eye as examined her. She immediately put the book back on the table and her hands in her lap. Her expression revealed that she knew she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

Reading his book without permission was probably not the worst thing she could have done, so Itachi decided to let it go. He walked over and picked up his sugegasa and said, "Let's go."

Silently she followed him through the door, down the stairs, and out onto the street.

* * *

><p>The street down this town was the same as almost every other town they had been to so far. There were some large streets- like the one they were on- connected by smaller avenues and alleys running between them. Wooden buildings were all built and constructed the same, the street was paved with the same cobblestone, and the signs were all painted with the same words in the same font. Even the street was the same wet streets always were after storms. Or at least that was what Asaya thought, but she wasn't a big fan of water country architecture.<p>

"Asaya-san," Itachi said.

"Hm?" his words caught Asaya off guard. He didn't usually speak to her, and when he did he usually addressed her by her surname.

"Last night you said you were in ANBU, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then if that is true you should have a tattoo as proof. Show it to me."

It was an odd request, but not the worst thing he could have asked. Reaching around her head with her left hand, she pulled her hair away from the right side of her head. Her right hand reached up and pulled her earlobe down to expose a small, delicate symbol discreetly hidden behind her ear.

It was an interesting place to put a tattoo, but it did make more sense than the shoulder placement where his was. Behind the ear it was much better concealed from view.

"May I ask you a question, Itachi-san?" She said quietly.

"…Sure." He figured that it couldn't hurt.

"The book you have, it is a library book, right? Why do you have such a thing?"

"I took it from a library a while back." Intercepting her next question, he said, "To read it, of course."

That was an interesting practice, maybe one suited to a criminal who didn't stay in one place long enough to make use of a library card. Stealing public literature was probably the least offensive crime he had ever committed. "But then what will you do with the book once you have finished with it?"

"I will drop it off at the next library when I get another book." He said it like she should have already known by inference.

So he was a noble thief then? Or maybe that was just the most convenient thing to do. In a strange way, it made sense to her. If library books were for the public to borrow and read, why did it matter that he exchanged books from one to the next, even if they were from different countries. A book for a book was an equivalent exchange, after all. Perhaps the only issue was that he obviously didn't pay taxes to pay for the public service, but oh well.

As they passed out of the town and onto the main road, Asaya noted that this town entrance looked exactly like every other town entrance.

Across his shoulder, Itachi could see her making the same face she always made when she was thinking about something. Her brow was delicately knitted together, her eyes blankly staring ahead at the ground, and hands fumbling with her sleeves. Itachi inwardly cursed himself for what he was about to do. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"… Your book," she said timorously, "why did you choose it? I mean, obviously it attracted you, but what exactly within it were you were hoping to read?"

Of course she would ask about that. However, it was a surprisingly bright thing to ask. "As you may have guessed, Asaya-san, I am somewhat of a cynic. Perhaps an exploration of some of humanity's flaws was what I was hoping to read."

That answer was true, but it was deliberately vague and nonspecific. It was the kind of answer one would write on a test if they weren't quite sure of the correct response but still wanted to try and fool the teacher. Though she supposed that shouldn't have expected any more from him.

"Did you find what you were looking for? In the book, I mean?" It was against her better judgment to ask, but she did anyway.

"I haven't read very far into the book, so I cannot say." His reply came almost too easily.

_Bullshit, _Asaya thought. This morning when she found the book it showed that he had read over halfway through it. "I'm sure you'll like it." The words sounded a bit more sarcastic than she meant them to.

"So have you read it?" Itachi guessed. Why did he continue to ask her these stupid questions?

"Yes, a few years ago." She still didn't look at him, and instead kept her focus on the road ahead.

"And why did you read it?"

"Hmm…," she thought, "the same reason you did, I suppose."

Itachi wasn't really inclined to believe she had the same motivation as he did. The idea was almost laughable to him. "What did you find, then?"

Small hands scratched the back of her head as she tried to "I found the story of how one man's life was both created and destroyed by public opinion- like political correctness or zeitgeist. And how the pursuit of an independent destiny unrestricted by the chains of societal oppression often forces one to become what they despise. It is the downside of tabula rasa, if you will." What she said was not a perfect bull's eye, but the dart hit dangerously close to center. He let her words ring softly between his ears for a moment.

When he didn't say anything, Asaya began to wonder if she had said something wrong. The uncertainty brought a hollow feeling to her chest. She noticed that they were far out of sight from the town now. All that surrounded them was a muddy road and marshland.

"Asaya-san," the anticipation of what he was about to say kept her from breathing, "you have a very articulate and formal manner of speaking. Where did you learn it?"

Relief fluttered through her. She didn't know what she was illogically expecting him to do, but that wasn't it. "When I was growing up it was forced on me. And I guess that working for the Tsuchikage and his family for so long made the habit stick. Do you find it bothersome?" She asked sincerely. It wasn't the idea of bothering him with her words that she was concerned with, but that he was also well spoken so it was strange he would be.

"No, not at all. Then your family must have been aristocratic if you were educated that way."

"Not really, they were just high strung. It's not relevant though." Even if she told him everything she knew about her family, it wouldn't do him any good. And even thought she would rather not talk about it, it was better that she misled him into thinking that it was somehow important.

Itachi still maintained that he had no personal interest in this girl, but her reluctance to disclose information about them coupled with the fact that she only spoke of them in the past tense dangled like a feather on a string before him. He would have to ask at another time. For now there was something else he had to say to her.

"That man you were talking to last night, did you know him from somewhere?"

He said it so casually that Asaya was sure he was mocking her. "No, why?" She tried not to, but her head tilted slightly in suspicion.

In an instant Itachi's hand shot up and griped her throat. The reflection of his red eyes burned intensely in her own. With his other hand he pulled two small pieces of folded paper from his pocket and showed them to her. "Do you recognize these?"

No words left her mouth, but her pupils nervously twitched while she looked at the papers. They were the letters she had asked Densho to send to Iwa.

His hand tightened its grip, preventing her from breathing. The oxygen in her lungs quickly dissolved. He examined her facade before saying, "You were a fool to think you could sneak these past me. Do not think you can try it again."

She looked directly into his eyes. Sure, she was terrified, but she refused to let him know it. He had already told her that he wasn't allowed to damage her. And now that it was after the fact there was no point in fearing the consequences. So what could he possibly do to her that she hadn't already lived through?

When he let go of her she stumbled forward. She hadn't realized, but he had almost suspended her over the ground in his hand. Her hands rubbed her neck as she coughed and wheezed painfully.

Itachi walked on as if nothing had happened. But he did turn his head to say, "Remember, Kagami-san, that man is now dead because of you."

Guilt poured through her heart as immediately after he said it. She never should have asked Densho to deliver those letters, or even admitted to him who she was, or even talked to him. Just meeting him by chance was too good to be true and she should have known better than to selfishly waste his life on a stupid, foolish, unrealistic impulse. Those letters weren't even worth anything comparatively. It was her fault, and there was no excuse.

Asaya painfully looked at Itachi as he walked away, as if everything were completely normal. Her mind was caught in a wordless maelstrom until he turned back at her and said, "I should not need to remind you to keep up." And then he continued on again.

Asaya had no choice but to follow him.

* * *

><p><em>"It's not enough to hope for the best<em>  
><em>It's not enough to lie there on a brace<em>  
><em>The liger's on the prowl, now you've pulled its strings<em>  
><em>One false move and soon you're playing dice for a-"<em>

_-Kimbra_


	7. Good Intent II

It was a beautiful day, all things considered. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and the temperature wasn't too hot or cold. The raised dirt road Itachi and Asaya walked along was perfectly picturesque. It trailed the perimeter of a provincial rice farming village in a remote Water Country island. The paddy water gleamed still and peacefully under the sunlight, with fresh, young sprouts eagerly peaking out into the air. A few small houses and sheds adorned the rice paddies like tree ornaments.

Regrettably, all of this pastoral beauty was lost on Asaya, as she thought of nothing and only concentrated on the abrasive sound of her feet dragging along the ground. Every time she began to think, she would remember how Itachi killed Densho and guilt would sweep over her conscience. It was better to not think at all.

A feint chattering drifted into Asaya's right ear. At first it only softly accompanied the scraping of her feet, but it quickly grew loud enough to squelch everything else. Perking her head up, and looked to her left to find the noise originating from a group of young boys playing 60 meters away on the bank of the rice paddy across from her. She stopped and squinted her eyes, curious as to what these boys were so excited about. One smaller boy frantically circled a huddle of larger boys, trying to break into the group, but they easily kept him out.

Within the boisterous noise of the larger group, the week, distressed cry of the little boy came through. "Stop! Stop hurting her!"

For a moment Asaya held her breath before impulsively throwing off her shoes and running vigorously toward the commotion. "Hey!" She forcefully shouted at them. "What's going on?!" Her feet violently splashed through the water, carelessly trampling the delicate rice reeds in her wake.

Like frightened deer the boys froze when they saw the oncoming, rabid woman. One of them yelled "Run!" and they shrieked and scattered as fast as they could, a few of them dropping sticks.

"You better run!" Reaching the bank, Asaya grabbed a pebble from the water and threw it at a boy in an orange shirt. He yelped and stumbled over before scrambling up and running again.

After the larger boys were far enough from view, the solitary little boy walked passed Asaya to gently pick up a small, fuzzy creature. She watched him quietly as he cradled a little bunny in his tiny arms with all the care a mother would give her baby. Large, innocent, tear stained eyes tenderly doted on the white, baby bunny. "Thank you." Mumbling it to her, he bowed politely and walked away.

"Take care." Asaya whispered sympathetically.

Looking left, a black silhouette stood on the other side of the water like a ghost.

Itachi heard Asaya suddenly shout and dash across the water. Now alert, his head snapped to the left to focus on what was happening. A group of young boys were roughhousing excitedly. Exactly what did she think she was doing? How was it any of her business?

Standing still, Itachi shifted his weight to one leg as he watched. A slender eyebrow curved when he saw her threaten and throw a rock at the fleeing boys. One smaller boy stayed behind and picked something up from where the group had been, presumably a stolen possession. The boy politely bowed to Asaya and left.

Some seconds of silence passed while Itachi watched Asaya, and she in turn watched the little boy momentarily as he walked away, but she did eventually remember him. She then obediently walked the perimeter of the rice paddy and returned to him.

Her shoes were still on the ground where she threw them off, but after picking them up she didn't put them back on. Dust and dirt covered her feet, and walking in wet, dirty shoes wasn't exactly appealing. She stood beside him, with tight shoulders and curled toes. "Sorry for running off like that." She demurely apologized.

A genuinely troubled element rested in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Itachi questioned, not convinced it was normal.

"That boy's rabbit… I don't think it lived."

* * *

><p>The sun had hidden behind the trees by the time the pair reached the rendezvous spot. The red light glowed angrily against the black, shadow-enveloped trees. Crows cawed ominously to each other as Itachi and Asaya walked by, as if they were planning something. An abandoned cluster of buildings huddled claustrophobically together in a small clearing. <em>How do they know where all of these places are? <em>Asaya wondered. Although, it was logical that criminals naturally flock to abandoned and hidden places as part of their lifestyle.

Bathed in the red light and shadows of the evening, the buildings looked like an optimal place to be murdered. The main building was made of splintered wood paneling with a rusted sheet metal roof. The architecture was very traditional, despite the metal roof, with sliding rice paper doors and a wrap around deck. Clearly, it had been abandoned for years if not decades.

Itachi walked up to the main building and slid open the door to step inside, not bothering to take off his shoes. Before following him, Asaya wearily glanced over her shoulder.

The house's interior was surprisingly modern, given its antiquated external appearance. The foyer conjoined the living and dining rooms, with a straight hallway leading to the kitchen. What little furniture and accommodations left were even more decomposed than the rest of the house. A leek in the roof had let water damage the blue couch in the living room, so it had molded, leaving a pungent stench in the air.

The kitchen had no appliances except for the sink. The rest were presumably stolen. Many of the white tiles on the floor were cracked or missing, and dirt had accumulated in the grout, resulting in more mould. This was by far the most disgusting place she had ever been, Asaya thought, hoping that they weren't going to stay for long.

Loud, rhythmic thudding noises came from the level above them, moving from one side of the ceiling to the stairs at the other end of the kitchen. The perpetrator, none other than Kisame, walked down the stairs with heavier steps than necessary. "Nice to see someone finally showed up. Don't tell me that little sprinkling stopped you?"

Ignoring Kisame's attempt at mockery, Itachi cut to the chase and asked, "Where are the others?"

"Beats me. Ever since we recruited that new kid they've been late for everything." Kisame stood still at the bottom of the stairs.

At least now they weren't technically the late ones, Itachi thought relieved. They would have to set up camp soon though, as the natural light was fast disappearing from the window. "Go and get something to eat." He said to Kisame while walking out the back door. "I'll start a fire."

* * *

><p>The sky blackened immediately after Itachi lit a fire. Luckily, the temperature cooled and became comfortable enough for outdoor camping, because sleeping in that rotten house was not an option. He and Asaya set up camp just outside the doors of a large storage shed that had been used to store giant logs. Apparently, this establishment had belonged to a family of loggers. It was uncannily convenient, since it meant there was an easy supply of dry firewood.<p>

As she sat cross legged in front of the fire, Asaya bathed pleasantly in the orange heat. She was so easily warmed she took off her jacket and set it lackadaisically crumpled up beside her. Itachi sat adjacent to her and took off his coat as well. However, he folded it neatly before setting it aside. The flames smoldered tranquilly, spitting out only the occasional crackle or hiss. After some time the radiant heat accumulated on the surface of his skin, causing an itchy burn.

"_Hey!" _Asaya's voice echoed in Itachi's head, echoed by the splash of small feet through the rice paddy. "Why didn't you use chakra to walk across the water?"

The question was so unprompted that Asaya almost didn't hear it. Somewhat puzzled, she casually said, "I didn't think of it at the time, I guess."

The unprofessional mentality this girl had baffled Itachi sometimes. "Why- Why did you intervene, anyway?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" Asaya watched him look back into the fire, rather dissatisfied. Now uncomfortable, she pulled he knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. "Why? Is something wrong with it?" She was hesitantly suspicious.

"No. Nothing." Since he answered with such inattentive words, he was obviously keeping something to himself.

_Well fine, _Asaya thought flippantly, but tactfully said, "You know, since I always answer your questions, you could try and answer mine sometime. It's not unreasonable."

Admittedly, Itachi did find her solicitation funny, given the circumstances- almost cheeky. "You're my abductee; I don't have to be reasonable."

Asaya thought he was being completely serious at first. But then she realized he was being wry, and she bit her lip in a smile.

Itachi watched the firelight cast tenebristic shadows across Asaya's profile, accentuating the small, feminine dimple that formed with her bashful smile. Her pale skin glowed softly, like the sky at the earliest break of dawn. Though she coyly looked away from him, there was a cheerful glint in her eyes she couldn't hide.

Rarely did anyone find anything Itachi said funny. His dry and sarcastic style of humor wasn't appreciated by many anyway, so he was surprised at how refreshing it was to see her smile.

However, casually joking with her wasn't appropriate; there were certain boundaries Itachi needed to respect. "Kisame is back." He announced to her, as if she didn't know.

The blue giant emerged from the woods with a few fish gripped firmly in his left hand. He lumbered over to the fire, where he knelt down, crudely skewered the carcasses, and propped them up to roast. "Ne, you hungry, Itachi-san?" Kisame exclusively addressed his partner.

"No."

_Is that all he eats? It's so cliché… _Asaya thought derisively with an obviously disgusted expression.

At the sight of the girl's face, Kisame only chuckled with satisfaction; he knew she despised seafood. Returning his attention to Itachi, Kisame asked, "So what do we do if they don't show?"

"If they aren't here by noon tomorrow, we'll head to the nearest town and wait for either Zetsu to contact us or for them to figure out where we went. I don't plan on camping out for days on end." Itachi always planned ahead.

Relief graced Asaya with those words. Not that she wasn't accustomed to enduring the wilderness, but hotel beds were so much more comfortable than dirt.

* * *

><p>Midmorning the next day, the trenchant mutterings of Itachi and Kisame gently woke Asaya. She lay still and drowsy, almost unable to make sense of their voices in her somnolent state.<p>

"I say we leave now. That way we're sure to make it to town before nightfall." Kisame's voice was definitely not the most pleasant thing to wake up to.

"I would agree, but if you'll look, you can see them on the horizon." Itachi's voice was very preferable.

It was too difficult to truly comprehend what they were talking about while the dirt persuasively lulled Asaya back to sleep. The small, rhythmic tremors of their footsteps walking away only made it worse. She was so blissfully close to sleep when one large pulse snatched her back to full consciousness. Immediately sitting straight up, she grabbed her forehead with one hand while a minor ache slowly subsided. It didn't take long to figure out where Itachi and Kisame went. _There here…!_

On sight of his fellow Akatsuki members Kisame shouted, "What in hell took you so long?!"

His colleagues disembarked from a gigantic, amorphous, winged sculpture. One of them- a grumpy, old, tortoise-like hunchback- shouted back, "We would have been here on time if it weren't for this amateur. I hate being late."

"Ameture?!" his young partner brashly challenged, "The hell do you mean by that, hm? I have more than enough experience to be a professional, yeah!" The young man jumped off the sculpture after his senior. "If it wasn't for my talent, we wouldn't be able to get around so fast, un." He pointed to the bird to emphasize the point before forming a hand seal, shrinking the sculpture to a handheld size in a cloud of smoke.

The narrow, steely sharp eyes of the black tortoise scowled freely at the young man. "Maybe, but if you'll remember, you're 'talent' almost destroyed the building we were supposed to infiltrate!"

"But it didn't, did it? Hm?"

"You're an insufferable fool…"

Kisame chuckled at his colleague's misery. Itachi wasn't much older than the blond boy, but he was far more tolerable.

"Sasori-san, do you know why Leader sent you to meet us?" Itachi addressed the tortoise, not wanting to waste time on their squabbling.

"Of course I do, don't you?"

When Itachi hesitated to answer, the young man immediately caught on the implication. "You mean Leader just told you to show up here without telling you why? Ha! He must think so highly of you, hm." He smugly boasted.

Itachi's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. That boy really was insufferable.

* * *

><p>Two small hands with short fingers nervously gripped the decayed wood paneling of the abandoned house as Asaya curiously watched the new Akatsuki members arrive. Exactly what other kinds of people made up in this organization? Itachi seemed normal enough- or at least normal for a criminal- but Kisame and that Zetsu creature obviously weren't. The first was a tortoise-like, hunchbacked creature, just as menacing as Kisame by appearance. The other had no obvious abnormalities, but it was hard to tell through the cloak and sugegasa.<p>

The voices of all four could be heard, but they were too far away to understand their conversation. The one she couldn't see was male with a very hoarse and abrasive quality, like desert sand. The other was male too, but it was far younger, animated, and boisterous. Asaya's face wrinkled uncomfortably. His voice had an uncanny similarity to a punk she used to know.

* * *

><p>"Quiet, Deidara. We weren't told much of anything either." Sasori scolded. "Itachi, we just stole a scroll from a temple in Fire Country. It's sealed, but we were told you could open it."<p>

"Open it?" Kisame interjected. "Neither of us know how to unlock seals. Leader must be confused."

Deidara looked at the blue man in disbelief and groaned. "So we came all the way to middle of nowhere Water Country for nothing, hm?"

A spark of insight lit a fire in Itachi's mind. _Asaya, _he thought. "We can't open the scroll, but I think I know who can."

"You're joking." Kisame couldn't believe what his partner was implying. He and the other two Akatsuki looked questioningly at Itachi.

"A while ago, Kisame and I were sent to Iwa to abduct a girl. Leader ordered us to hold her until further notice." Itachi noticed Deidara look down and away, definitely contemplating something. "Do you know something, Deidara-san?"

"That's right," Kisame said, "you're both from Iwa, and she's about your age, too. You probably went to school together."

"Maybe, yeah. What's this girl like, hm?" Deidara took off his sugegasa and shifted his weight to one side. The chance that this girl was who he thought excited him.

Impatient, Sasori interrupted, "I have a better question; where is this supposed girl? I don't see her and I doubt she's invisible."

Itachi took the liberty of answering, "She's been watching us from behind that building."

Looking at the corner, they saw a small head quickly disappear behind the wall. A mischievous, impish smile blossomed on Deidara's face. "Hmm, I guess I'll have to see for myself, yeah." He made his way confidently toward the corner.

* * *

><p>As the new Akatsuki reached up to take off his sugegasa, Asaya subconsciously inched her head and shoulder further around the corner. But when his blond, blue-eyed face was exposed, her brain momentarily refused to process the visual information. What cruel cosmic irony designed this twist of fate? It was a moment of complete and utter consternation.<p>

The four Akatsuki turned their heads to look her way. Asaya recoiled from the corner and flattened her back against the wall, heart beating like a rabbit on the run. What would happen now that Deidara was present? He knew things that the others didn't, thus changing the circumstantial dynamics entirely.

The footsteps of one of them were closing in. It was Deidara- it had to be. He had the ability to resist curiosity with the strength of thin porcelain. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, counting down the moment where he was just around the corner…

When one black, polished toe peeked beyond the building, Asaya panicked like a cornered feline. Her claw reached around the corner and ensnared the left side of his blond head, violently slamming it against the splintered wood three times. Deidara, completely disoriented, buckled over, giving Asaya the opportunity to knee him in the stomach. Groaning, he fell to his knees then to the ground. His scope lay broken on the ground beside him, tiny shards of the shattered glass lens twinkling.

Asaya lorded over him, tempted to kick him again for good measure, but tempered herself into walking away.

No one quite understood what had just happened, or why. Unable to say a word, neither Itachi nor Kisame would have predicted that Asaya, who, despite her multiple escape attempts, always behaved so submissive and demure, would so savagely assault Deidara at the first opportunity. They stood still while trying to figure it out.

"I like this girl." Sasori stated.

"So let me guess- ex girlfriend?" Kisame said to Deidara as he weakly stood up.

"Not quite, yeah." Coughed Deidara. "We were friends before I left Iwa, hm." He cradled his throbbing head in his left hand, one eye squinting.

"Then what'd you do to piss her off?"

"Well, I'm probably not the most popular guy after deserting my village, yeah."

Deidara was obviously ashamed of whatever he wasn't saying, but no one cared to inquire about it. However, Itachi did find it advantageous that Deidara knew Asaya. Maybe now he could get some answers.

"I don't find your childhood memories worth wasting time over." Sasori stated. "Itachi, we have a scroll for you to open. Can you or not?"

Relieved at Sasori's words, Itachi wanted to get this over with just as much. "No, I cannot, but I think the girl can."

"I know for a fact she can, yeah." Deidara interjected. "She apprentices directly under Iwa's grand master. Or at least she did before I left, un."

Slender, black eyebrows twitched. Why wasn't Itachi made aware of this sooner? Thinking back to the other night in the hotel, he wondered why he didn't realize Asaya was lying about her life. "She claimed that she worked for the Tsuchikage's family."

Looking out the corner of his good eye, Deidara thought about it. "Back in the day she used to babysit one of the Tsuchikage's grandsons. The family liked her so they probably kept her around, un."

So Asaya hadn'r exactly _lied_, but it didn't make Itachi feel any better.

As far as Sasori was concerned, Itachi and Deidara's conversation amounted to idle chatter. There was a mission that should have been done by now. "If you want to gossip about this girl's personal life, do it over tea and cake. Stop sidetracking and get back to the mission, Deidara."

Deidara's lip curled as Sasori specifically addressed him. That condescending, smug way of talking down to him grated his nerves. And there was no reason to rush anyway. There wasn't another mission lined up at the moment and Leader technically hadn't given them a deadline. The ancient doll just wanted to complain and boss him around.

* * *

><p>Asaya looked up from where she was sitting in the shed when the Akatsuki rounded the corner. Something bad was about to happen- she knew it. Especially now that Deidara was with them. He could spill all sorts of beans: abilities, history, her favorite color, everything! They would probably torture her for village secrets too. The other new Akatsuki – Sasori, she remembered them saying- was probably some sort of torture expert. Now that she thought about it, Itachi and Kisame had probably been holding her until he arrived for interrogation. And then after words she would have to be disposed of. Kisame was probably planning on eating her alive, or at least whatever was left over…<p>

The four loomed over her like vultures above an emaciated calf. Asaya froze for a moment before Deidara pulled a cylindrical object out of his coat pocket and threw it on the ground before her. She nervously pulled her feet underneath her, half expecting it to explode.

"Open it." The black tortoise commanded.

Asaya looked at the red and green scroll on the ground, examining the label closely. "I can't. It's-"

"Bullshit, un." Deidara interrupted. "Don't even try to lie, hm."

_Damnit… _Asaya winced. It was worth a try.

"If you fail to comply, Kagami-san, we have ways of making you." Itachi gently warned, eyes flashing red.

With a sullen sigh Asaya picked up the scroll. The seal was a basic explosion type; not the most complicated thing in the world, but there were obvious consequences if it wasn't disarmed properly. _Fire Country._ The craftsmanship was immediately recognizable. That country's work was relatively easy to deal with since they usually used recycled formulas.

_I could just open it now and take us all out at once… _Asaya cynically thought. Maybe they didn't know it was volatile, but it was ironic that these terrorists would so readily hand her something so dangerous.

"How imperative is it that this is opened?" She asked, almost inaudibly.

"If it wasn't important, why would we have gone through the trouble of getting you?" Sasori's callous words made her wince and she sucked in her stomach.

Asaya explained, "If I try and open this, it could inadvertently explode."

"Then you better not make a mistake."

* * *

><p>A few hours had gone by and Asaya still hadn't unsealed the scroll. Unfortunately, no one had been able to provide her with anything to write with, so she improvised by pulling a rusted nail out of the shed wall and writing on the dirt. Mental fatigue had set in, making her hand drag as it scratched the dirt and her eyes to intermittently stare at the symbols as if she were illiterate. It had been so long since she had been away from her studies that she had forgotten how tedious it could be. Checking and rechecking, making extra sure that everything matched up- was she even using the right formulas in the first place?<p>

The four Akatsuki sat in a circle some feet away from Asaya. Occasionally, they would glance at the girl to make sure she wasn't causing trouble, but otherwise ignored her to talk amongst themselves. Eventually though, the black tortoise ran out of patience and yelled, "Are you finished yet?"

Asaya snapped her head up immediately, looking at him like a squirrel caught in the middle of the road. Instead of speaking, she slowly twisted her head side to side.

Sasori grumbled dissatisfied, but turned back to his collogues and continued ignoring her.

However, Itachi had been watching Asaya fairly closely. Mostly because he didn't quite trust her with something that could explode, but partially because his colleague's trivial chatting wasn't any more interesting than watching a girl tediously scribble on dirt with a rusty nail in a rather chicken-like manner. He watched compulsively when she startled like a field mouse at Sasori's interrogative question.

That timid, demure meekness she outwardly exhibited belied the earlier incident where she so naturally assaulted Deidara. In the moment Itachi couldn't have been more astonished, but thinking about it the independent and defiant look in her eyes he sometimes saw when she thought no one was paying attention hadn't left the behavior completely unforeshadowed. The truly impressive part, however, was her ability to tactfully control these qualities to her advantage.

What was going on in her head, exactly? As the minutes passed, a cloud of anxiety gradually manifested over Asaya. Itachi surmised that she thought that after she opened that scroll they- probably he- would kill her. Her usefulness would have expired and they couldn't just let her go. She was just another unlucky casualty in the path of Akatsuki's goals. But really, was it any different than dying as a kunoichi- a tool- in the name of your village?

It was all rather conventionally tragic.

* * *

><p>Stars twinkled in the darkness like pinholes through black paper. As it was the beginning of the lunar month, no moonlight glowed over the pristine forest leaves or the roofs of the decaying buildings. Instead, a strong, yellow-orange fire illuminated the wood panel walls, only disrupted by the silhouettes of five figures.<p>

The first four sat in the immediate area of the fire, and they cast the largest shadows. They had completely forgotten the much smaller fifth shadow, which took the form of a sleeping woman.

When Asaya had finished, she didn't bother telling the others. She was too tired to really care, and, seeing that they had forgotten about her anyway, took the liberty of flopping over and falling asleep.

The first to notice she wasn't sitting upright anymore was Deidara. "Does she always do that, hm?" He pointed at her.

The other three shifted their attention onto her. "Stupid cow…" Kisame grumbled.

Curious, Deidara stood up and walked over towards Asaya, stretching his arms and back to relieve the stiffness that accumulated over hours of sitting still.

"I dare you to wake her up!" Kisame teased as Deidara stood over the sleeping girl.

The blond shot an angry look over his shoulder at the sharkman's challenge. "I'm just seeing if she opened it or not, yeah!" He defended himself- although he was wary of disturbing Asaya.

By all appearances Asaya slept solidly, curled into a ball with an arm for a pillow. The scrool was laying about a foot in front of her face. Thinking back to their academy days, Deidara remembered that she was the most Olympic of all sleepers. But despite the placid, innocent face, Deidara saw a dragon guarding treasure. He swallowed his fear for the sake of his image and knelt down on one knee to pick up the scroll, hand reaching out slowly and eyes watching for the slightest twitch of her body. He knew she would attack him again if she woke up.

Luckily, she didn't even stir and he held the treasure, smirking triumphantly. "Stupid cow, yeah."

Wham! Pain plastered sharply across his left cheek for the second time that day, knocking him backwards on his ass. "Dammit!" He shouted, cradling his face to soothe the stinging.

"What did you just say?" Asaya accosted, boldly standing over him on her knees with a raised fist. "Want to say it again?"

Narrow blue eyes focused on Asaya's brown. "Dammit, Sasa-chan! What did I ever do to you, huh?"

"_Really?"_ Asaya was offended by the question. "That shouldn't need an explanation, jackass. And don't call me that."

This time, the other three weren't so shocked. Kisame laughed deeply with shining teeth, happy that his expectation came true. And there was a sense of bitter pleasure that Sasori felt at his partner's suffering. Even Itachi couldn't deny that the whole thing was rather ironic.

Between chuckles, Kisame suggested, "You know, Sasori, if you ask leader he might let you keep her. She seems to be good at keeping your partner in line."

"I'm already contemplating it." Sasori said. Having a puppet with the ability to beat that punk to the ground was a terribly cathartic vision.

"Seriously, why are you so pissed off, un?!" Deidara crossly asked.

Puffing out her chest and shoulders, Asaya berated him, "Do you have any idea how much crap I was put through after you defected!? I almost lost my apprenticeship because of you! They even threatened to dishonorably discharge me!" She expressively flailed her arms about to exaggerate her point.

"Hey, I never thought they'd accuse you-"

"No, you didn't think, did you? That's kind of your problem; you're a narcissistic, audacious, egotistical, selfish asshole! For all the times you've gotten me in trouble…"

Watching Deidara and Asaya bicker childishly was much more entertaining than the three would like to admit. In all honesty, it was probably the funniest thing to happen since Itachi and Kisame first kidnapped the girl.

Kisame jokingly asked, "Do you think we should stop them or wait and see if she hits him again?"

"Leave them." Sasori said decisively. "Hopefully she'll kill him and I can get a new partner." It was a sincere desire. "And where is Zetsu? He's late."

It was a good question. Itachi had been wondering the same thing. Although, by now Zetsu's tardiness didn't surprise him. Everything involving that girl was slow, tedious, and frustrating. He hoped that when Zetsu did show up, they could just hand over the scroll and be done with the ordeal that she was.

But as he looked at Asaya vigorously quarreling with Deidara, he remembered how vivaciously she had defended the young boy and his rabbit and his feelings began to betray himself.

Squawking chickens was an accurate comparison to the sound of Asaya and Deidara's arguing- or chattering squirrels, or even crotchety old men. They sat facing each other, gesturing with their hands to enhance their words.

Leaning forward, Asaya placed one hand on the ground to stabilize herself as she pointed one finger directly at Deidara. "I couldn't have been happier that your obnoxious ass defected! And it looks like you've finally found a group of people just as unpleasant as you for friends. You should-"

The feeling of the earth shivering beneath her hand stopped her mid-sentence. She looked at the ground confused.

"What? Finally run out of stupid things to say, hm?" Deidara took advantage of her sudden silence.

"Shut up." She curtly commanded, lifting her hand from the ground.

The earth vibrated again, strong enough for them to feel it through their legs. They stared at the ground between them.

A large, green plant erupted from the ground, causing both Deidara and Asaya to scramble backwards in shock. Its two giant leaves folded open to reveal the black and white face of Zetsu. "Nice to see you again, Asaya-chan. Have you finished your homework?" White Zetsu playfully addressed the cringing girl.

He had never directly spoken to Asaya before, so she nervously froze with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Well?" Zetsu's gleefully menacing smile didn't make her feel any better.

Now stricken mute, Asaya picked up the scroll in question- conveniently located to her right- and held it out to him.

"Good girl! We're so proud of you." He fully emerged from the ground before taking the scroll and walking away towards Itachi and the others, stepping around Deidara on the way.

Looking at Itachi and Kisame, White Zetsu said, "Leader will be happy to know she passed her test. Seems she is who we wanted."

Itachi caught the implication immediately. "Was there ever a question of identity? Or were we given misinformation?" He had asked similar questions before, but never got a clear or meaningful answer. Maybe with a large amount of luck it would be different this time.

"Well, technically no. You were never misinformed, but Leader may have been." White Zetsu ambiguously said.

"Explain." Itachi was not in the mood for these games.

Black Zetsu answered before his counterpart could run his mouth. **"Akatsuki was given the girl under **_**delicate **_**circumstances."**

"'Given?'" Itachi's voice became more demanding. "What do you mean we were 'given' her?"

"**I can't answer that. Leader doesn't tell me everything." **Black Zetsu was quick to answer.

Great. Now there were even more questions. Itachi could have stabbed himself.

Kisame took his turn to ask, "What do we do with her now, then?"

"Ah, yes!" Zetzu gleefully chimed. "You're all going on a mission together!"

* * *

><p>Thin, almost feminine fingers rhythmically tapped on a composite wood desk. Listless breath occasionally wheezed from the apathetic lungs of a sullen boy. Tsuta, as he was called, recently began spending excessive amounts of time stagnating in his room like this: alone, silent, and in the dark. This behavior started when he got the news. He has skipped school again, too- not that anyone was making him go anymore. Asaya was the only one who ever had, and she was gone.<p>

The doorbell rang loudly from downstairs. Even when it chimed three more times, Tsuta chose to ignore it, continuing to tap his fingers on the desk unaffected.

The visitor wasn't satisfied, and a moment after the ringing stopped began pounding on the bedroom window. "Hey, Tsuta-kun! I can see you. Open up!" It was his cousin Kurotsuchi.

Why didn't he close the blinds? "Go away." Tsuta said in a flat tone, not bothering to look at her.

"Look, I know you're upset, but you have to come out sometime. Grandpa wants to see you in his office. Don't make me drag you over there." She threatened.

Groaning dramatically, Tsuta rose from the chair and walked out of his bedroom.

"You better be at the front door when I get there!"

It was a short but silent walk to the Tsuchikage's- grandfather's- office. Tsuta obviously wasn't in the mood to talk and Kurotsuchi knew that anything she said would just upset him. Taking a deep breath, she politely opened the door for Tsuta as they walked in, anticipating the worst. Nothing good ever happened when Grandpa called family to the office. Unless it was for a mission, but Tsuta obviously wasn't there for that.

Kurotsuchi and Tsuta bowed respectfully to the Tsuchikage.

"Tsuta-kun," He began. "I have an urgent letter for you." His tone was serious and grave.

A letter? What could be so critical about a letter? Tsuta uncertainly approached the desk. Directly in the middle was a folded sheet of paper addressed to him. He recognized the handwriting immediately. Anxiety rushed through him with the intensity of a narcotic. "What is this?" His voice was broken and strained.

"It arrived last night by a hawk. There is a seal on the back that I need you to open." The Tsuchikage explained.

Picking up the letter, Tsuta examined the seal on the back. It was defiantly Asaya's work. "Do you have a knife?"

Kurotsuchi pulled a kunai from her pocket and handed it to her cousin. "Be careful." She gently reminded him, worried there would be an accident.

After putting the letter on the table-seal side up- Tsuta pricked the tip of his right index finger, as if for a blood test. One tiny, red drop of beaded on his skin, which he dabbed on the seal.

This was how Asaya always sealed something meant solely for him. Unfortunately, blood was the most foolproof method of easily discouraging prying eyes. The black ink reacted to the blood by slowly evaporating off the paper.

Tsuta snatched the letter off the desk before the Tsuchikage could, eyes eagerly reading the words.

_Dear Tsuta,_

_I hope you will be glad to know that I am alive and mostly well…_

Tsuta couldn't help but roll his eyes at her ridiculous habit of writing with an extremely formal voice. The letter went on to explain that she had been kidnapped- which was not what he had been told happened- by two criminals in a terrorist organization called Akatsuki. _Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame…_ He committed the names to memory.

_Do not question your grandfather about Akatsuki…_

Well, he'd just have to find a more indirect rout of getting information out of the old man. He knew how to ask the right people the right questions.

The last line told him not to worry, and that she would be home soon.

"Give me the letter, Tsuta." The Tsuchikage commanded forcefully. "I never gave you permission to read it."

Tsuta's eyebrow twitched. Unlike everyone else in the family, Tsuta wasn't a ninja drone. So as far as he was concerned, he didn't have any obligation to mindlessly obey the Tsuchikage. The letter was addressed to him, not anybody else. And luckily, it looked like Asaya thought the same way. At the bottom of the paper was another seal, but this was the kind that would destroy the document when activated. With no lack of rebellion spent, Tsuta put his thumb on the seal and channeled a small amount of chakra into it.

The old man watched horrified as the paper ignited and burned away in seconds. "Dammit, Tsuta!" He yelled, nose red as a plump, ripe strawberry. "That letter was classified! How dare you disobey your Tsuchikage!"

At this point in his life, Tsuta wasn't at all bothered by Grandfather's scolding. "It wasn't me! Asaya put in a time sensitive seal." He acted defensive anyway for the sake of lying.

Oonoki grumbled upset. "What did it say?"

"She just said not to worry about her and to take care of her apartment till she got back, since she already paid rent through the year. That's all I read, I swear." Tsuta lied coolly.

Asaya was the type to say hopeful words just to make someone feel better, even if she couldn't always fulfill her promises. Knowing this, Oonoki begrudgingly let it go, but warned, "Fine, but if I find out you are lying to me, know that you are compromising Asaya's safety, and there will be consequences. Now go."

Tsuta bowed and left the office with Kurotsuchi following behind him.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult, Tsuta-kun?" She harassed immediately after closing the door.

"Hey, why don't you go bother someone else for a while? I can walk home by myself." Tsuta snapped back.

"Ugh! Tsuta- kun, you know Grandfather and everyone else cares just as much as you do about getting Asaya back. So why do you have to make things so difficult for him?"

They continued to argue the entire way home, right up to the front entrance where Tsuta said and abrupt goodbye and closed the door before Kurotsuchi could say anything to prolong the conversation.

Tsuta ran up to his room as fast as he could, grabbed the key to Asaya's apartment, and left through the backdoor hoping no one would see him.


End file.
